Love Like Crazy
by Summer's Sunlight
Summary: Katherine has spent her life in and out of the mental ward for thinking vampires killed her brother. When her family moves to La Push with all of it's supernatural glory, she's faced with an unbelievable dilemma: could she have been sane all along? SethOC
1. White Everything

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**I know quite a few people were hoping for "Dark Light", but too many people asked for this story for me to be able to ignore them. This isn't going to be a long story, so it won't be long before I start writing the other stories. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly introduce the first chapter of "Love Like Crazy"!**

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Katherine's POV

I hate white. White isn't a color, it's the absence of color. It's nothing. So why does everyone here insist that white is so amazing?

Everything around me is white. The walls are white. The curtains are white. The bed spread is white. The sheets are white. The pillow is white. The furniture is white. Every single piece of clothing I can wear is white. I'm sick of white.

I despise white.

I'm sitting on a chair that's white, looking out the large window trimmed in white at an oasis of color. The lawn and shrubs were a bright, fresh green, and the trees had bright green leaves with deep brown trunks. The sky was a brilliant blue that made me stare in wonder.

Seattle didn't usually see sunlight like this, so I was going to soak it up whenever I could.

I could see the parking lot's deep black asphalt. The cars were a thousand different shades, with bright bumblebee yellow, deep forest green, dark haunting blue, and, my personal favorite, the glistening candy apple red on the little four-door sedan. If I get out of here soon, maybe my parents will buy a car for me. If I get to pick the color, it will be that candy apple red.

I wondered when they would let me out. I had done well in therapy, and I hadn't had an outburst since they brought me in. It wouldn't be long. Another month or two at most.

"Katherine? We brought you your guitar," one of the attendants said. "It'll help you pass the time if you play."

"Alright," I said. My voice sounded quiet and hoarse, like I haven't used it in a few days. Probably because I hadn't. There was no point in talking to anyone here. The patients were crazy and lost in their own world. The attendants and doctors and therapists all looked at me like I was _less_. Like I didn't quite count as a human being to them. That was fine. I wouldn't be here much longer. And this time, I was never coming back. I don't care what I have to do. I will fake sanity until the world believes me.

The attendant handed me the acoustic guitar, and I sighed in relief. It had been ages since I held the musical instrument in my hands. The dark and light wood brought me peace, and the pearl and silver strings brought me excitement. Oh, the possibilities…

I had learned a few new songs when I was out last, so I decided to play one of them. A depressing, haunting song by Paramore. What was it called? Oh, yes, "We Are Broken." How fitting.

"_I am outside,  
__And I've been waiting for the sun,  
__With my wide eyes,  
__I've seen worlds that don't belong,  
__My mouth is dry,  
__With words I cannot verbalize.  
__Tell me why,  
__We live like this  
__  
Keep me safe inside, your arms like towers,  
__Tower over me."_

"Katherine? Why don't you sing a happier song? I'm sure the others would appreciate it," the attendant interrupted.

"I sing happy songs when I'm happy," I answered. I don't care if I was rude. The drugs they gave me to make me "sane" made me feel fuzzy. Like my emotions weren't my own. Like I didn't _have _emotions. The room was nothing but a blur of white, and the other patients were blurs of white, and the attendants were nothing but blurs of white. Just blurs of white.

Everything felt dull. Even the song I was singing. The notes sounded worn and faded, and my voice sounded ancient.

"'_Cause we are broken,  
__What must we do to restore,  
__Our innocence,  
__And oh, the promise we adored.  
__Give us life again,  
_'_Cause we just want to be whole."_

"Katherine? Dr. Carvay is waiting for you," another attendant told me. I silently set my guitar down and followed the nurse to a small office. This, too, was a blurry white.

"Katherine, why don't you lay down?" Dr. Carvay didn't bother with pleasantries. He always got straight to the point. He was a short, balding man in his late fifties. When I'm not on the drugs, he looks like a pedophile. But right now, he was just kind Dr. Carvay with a blurry white coat.

I settled myself on the couch, propping my head up with a pillow.

"Now, let's see if you can remember anything new about that night, shall we?" Dr. Carvay sounded sickening in his fake solicitousness.

"I don't remember anything but the same story I've always remembered," I told him – again. I told him this every session. He never listened to me.

"Let's just try, shall we?" He liked the words, 'shall we?' He thought it made himself sound smart. It just made him sound like an ass.

"If you think the answers are going to be different this time, why not?" I answered dully. I was in the not-caring mood. Again.

"Right. Let's start from the beginning. Tell me everything you can remember from that night," Dr. Carvay prompted.

"It was Mom's birthday that night, and she had convinced Dad to go out to dinner to celebrate. The babysitter they had hired for the night was useless; she passed out drunk less than two hours after my parents had left," I paused, the memories began flooding in. As always, it was too much, and the words just started to pour out.

"My older brother Tom had just turned eight years old that month, and I was six years old. We were just watching a movie, a Power Rangers movie I think, and we were using the drunk babysitter's back as a foot-stool. Someone knocked on the door, but Tommy said we shouldn't open it."

I started sobbing, remembering what had happened. How horrible it had been. How… completely impossible it was to describe. No drug could dull this kind of pain and fear. Trust me, the doctors have tried.

"Suddenly, we heard a big boom and the front door was on the ground, and he was standing there. He was really tall, and he had this horrible look on his face, like he was anticipating something wonderful. Tommy started yelling at him to go away, but the man just smiled. He was walking towards us, really slowly, and he was so scary, and – and–"

I was sobbing too much to speak, but once I started talking about that night, I had to finish. I had to make them see what happened that night. I started speaking through the sobs.

"The man… he was so tall and big and his skin was white… and he was… pretty. Like someone you expect to see in a magazine, except he didn't look all carefree like models do, he looked hungry, and… he was in the hallway, then he was next to us, and Tommy was on the ground bleeding, because – because – the man had… he pushed his hand _through Tommy's chest_. Like someone punched through cardboard, except it wasn't cardboard. And… and then the man lifted Tommy above him and started drinking the blood that was dripping from the hole in Tommy's chest! Drinking it like a vampire!"

I had to stop for a minute to catch my breath. The sobs were shaking my whole body now, but I didn't care. I had to finish the story, and I had to do it _now_.

"I can still see Tommy's face looking down at me… he looked so surprised. He never saw it coming… then… the man smiled, and said I looked terrified. That I looked perfect, and he would come back for me when I was older so he could take me away and I would never see any of my family again and he would make me like him and… his eyes were red! This hideous, bright crimson red that just stared at me and I can't get them out of head! I tried to hit him, tried to get Tommy back, but his body felt like stone, like ice. He just laughed and dropped Tommy and said he would come get me when I was old enough to join him!"

Dr. Carvay just looked at me while I cried and sobbed and screamed. Nobody came to help the doctor. Screaming was common place around here. After about ten minutes, he asked, "What happened next, Katherine?"

"I sat there and cried, holding Tommy's body until my parents got home. My mom started screaming and my dad called the police. They kept asking me what the man looked like, the one that killed Tommy, but they didn't believe me. When I kept telling them that's what I saw, they called a psychiatrist in, and he and my mom put me in a place like this, and said when I stopped telling tales I could come out. When I stopped saying it was an inhuman man that killed Tommy, they let me out. But now I see that man every now and then, and I freak out, thinking he's come back to kill me, but the doctors say he hasn't, and they put me back in here."

Dr. Carvay put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "There is the difference between myself and those other doctors, Katherine; I know that you will never remember what truly happened that night, and we have to accept that. Your mind is too traumatized to bring back those memories safely. What we're going to do is stop you from thinking that the killer is coming back for you. That is our main goal, and once you achieve it, you can go home."

"Home," I whispered longingly. I missed my house on the southern Oregon coast. I missed my father, who had been nothing but supportive and loving my whole life. He never blamed me for this mess I had become. My mother loved me, too, and I missed her as well.

"We're going to focus on teaching you to ignore these irrational fears," Dr. Carvay continued. "Once you can do that, a normal life will be yours."

"I hope so," I whispered. A normal life… so many teenagers complained about their parents or their siblings or their high school or other completely normal things that I would give anything to have. Was a normal life too much to ask for?

I left Dr. Carvay's office to get lunch. I made sure to pile my tray high, getting seconds of everything. Except dessert, of course. "I'm just hungry today," I explained to the cafeteria supervisor. She just stared at me.

According to all of the doctors and attendants, I was far too thin for their liking. I was a little tall for a girl, and that didn't help. I moved to my preferred table.

"Hey, Beast," I greeted one of my few friends in this hellhole, Chris. He was a Native American that was about six foot five with bulging muscles. There wasn't an ounce of fat on the kid (and I use the word 'kid' loosely). Since the doctors were afraid he might overwhelm the staff if he got out of hand, they had him on a strict diet and he got absolutely no exercise. He still remained a beast, hence the nickname.

"Hey Beauty. Please tell me some of that is for me," he said, eyeing my overflowing tray. Because he was getting sick and malnourished with the doctors' orders, I got extra food for him whenever I could. His beastly frame was the inspiration for his nickname, so when some of the younger kids heard me use it, they started calling me Beauty, so we could match the Disney movie. So now we were known as Beauty and the Beast.

I didn't think I was pretty; it's kind of hard to tell around here because there are no mirrors (glass is too much of a hazard in a mental facility). Plus, no one cares about beauty around here. Everyone is too focused on other things.

"Of course it is. I'm not that hungry," I answered. He sneakily started taking some of the food items on my tray and placing them on his own. We made sure the attendants didn't notice.

When there was nothing but two slices of pizza and a salad on my tray, Beast gently pushed the tray towards me.

"You're looking a little thin, Beauty. You need to start eating more, or those drugs are going to overpower your system," Beast suggested oh-so subtly.

I glared at him. "I'm not too thin," I said firmly. I started to eat the salad, though, because the drugs already affected me enough. I did not need anything stronger. Ever.

Beast just leaned back and smiled a very smug smile. Jerk.

Most of the time, I couldn't understand why Beast was here. He was calm, friendly, and he was just so _normal_. The only time I remember him sounding insane was when he told me why he was here.

"_I turn into a giant wolf," Beast said proudly._

"_What?" I gasped._

"_Yeah, I turn into a giant wolf when I get really mad. It's why I'm so huge and built. It's the wolf gene," he said this all so matter-of-factly that I almost believed him. "It happens in my tribe when vampires get too close. The young men of the tribe turn into giant wolves to protect the tribe from the blood-suckers."_

"_Really," I said calmly, not letting him know I wasn't buying a word of this._

"_I transformed during a bonfire, so there were no wolves around to help me when I changed. As soon as I turned back into a human, I made the mistake of going straight to my parents and telling them what happened. They shipped me straight here, and I haven't been out since."_

"_Okay. Turn into a wolf right now. Prove you aren't insane," I challenged. He would have an excuse about why he couldn't. They always did._

"_I have to be extremely pissed off to transform," Beast explained. "Otherwise, nothing happens. The drugs they make us take here are so strong, they control our every emotion. I can't feel rage, or anger, or sadness, or anything. They're too afraid I could get out of control and no one will be able to stop me."_

"_I see," I said, clearly not believing a word he said, and we changed the subject._

So Beast was now my dose of sanity whenever I was here. They brought him in when he was about fourteen years old, so he had been around for a while. I don't know how I got through those first years here without him.

"That tasted so good," Beast smiled contentedly. "I haven't been full in ages. Thanks, Beauty."

"No problem, Beast."

"I have my hour session in a few minutes. When I come back, you better be playing the guitar and singing your lungs out. I want to hear the new songs you learned," he tried – and failed – to say sternly.

I laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

Beast got up and sauntered down the hallway. I took a few more bites out of one piece of pizza, but I quickly lost my appetite. I just threw the rest away.

I went back into the main room where my guitar waited for me. The white walls and ceiling and everything else that was white threatened to cave in on me, but the cool feel of the guitar in my hand banished the feeling. I tuned it back up, and went back to playing. I decided on a classic. If you haven't heard this song, you've been living under a rock for the past fifty years.

"_Hey Jude, don't make it bad.  
__Take a sad song, and make it better.  
__Remember to let her into your heart,  
__Then you can start to make it better."_

I continued to play for endless hours. I don't remember how many. Here, time doesn't really exist.

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**First, I would like to say, I am not crazy, so I have no idea how accurate of a setting I just gave for the mental institution. What is there are things I've picked up from TV or have made up completely to serve my plot-needs. So if I got something wrong, I kind of don't care. Other than that, please review! I'll update faster if you do! And thanks for reading my new story!**


	2. New Everything

**I'm so sorry this has taken so long! I know it's only been a week, but it's the longest I've ever had between updates. I'm back in school, so I'm trying to stay in the habit of updating regularly. Please, read and review! It's all that keeps me going somedays!**

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_Three months later…_

Katherine's POV

They let me out of the white hell-hole a month ago. It had been one of the best moments of my life when they let me out of the double doors and back into the world of color. That was sad. One of the best moments of life: they let me out of the loony bin. God, I suck.

My father had that bounce back in his step, so I knew it was a good day for him. He didn't stop smiling until three days after they brought me home. When he smiled like that, he looked ten years younger. Which is saying something, because John Carter looks good for his age.

Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for my mother. Trista Carter looked happy, but there was something off about the way she was acting. Like she wasn't being sincere. Which is ridiculous, of course. She's my mother. She must be ecstatic to have me home. All mothers love their children.

Plus, Mom had been forgetting her make-up recently. Her face looked gray without foundation, and her eyes looked strange without the false eyelashes she used to wear religiously. Her outfits looked less put-together, and she started wearing normal shoes, instead of her usual frighteningly-tall stilettos. She looked like she had added the ten years my father had lost.

Beast had scared the crap out of her when they came to pick me up. He had hugged me so tight, he had picked me up two feet off the ground. I may be thin, but I'm five foot seven, so that's not an easy task. He had smiled, and had been kind and courteous the entire time. He held back tears when I left. I hadn't been that strong, and had openly cried.

"Why does he keep calling you 'Beauty'? I don't like it," my mother had said as soon as we left the building.

"Because he's 'Beast', Mom," I had answered cryptically, making it sound like the simplest thing in the world. She just shook her head.

The only reason Beast wasn't out with me was because he refused to take my advice and lie. I never saw my vampire stalker in the hospital, so it didn't take much for me to convince the doctors that I was well enough to go home. But Beast kept insisting that he had turned into a giant wolf. Didn't he understand that if he just lied, we would have walked through those double doors together?

It didn't matter now. We had moved as soon as I was out, my father claiming a change of scenery would help me stay out of the hospital. They were convinced that the city was to blame for my insanity. So they moved us into a tiny town with a crime rate of zero.

Forks wasn't that bad. I had marveled at the greenness of it. Trees, moss, grass, all of it was green. There was no lack of color here, and that was exactly what I had needed. When he saw the elated look on my face, my father had decided that this was the best decision he had ever made.

My mother didn't like it. That much was obvious. Her nose was stuck in the air since we had seen the "Welcome to Forks" sign, like she was too good for these people. Which is weird, because my father is a police deputy, and she is an interior decorator. We weren't rich, not by a long shot.

It didn't matter to me. My father had purchased a Fender acoustic guitar for my homecoming and my birthday two months ago, and that was all I wanted. The two of us were happy enough to make up for my mother's displeasure.

Our new house was a faded white, which made me blanch, but it was trimmed with a pretty sky blue. That and the green forest that was right behind our house made it acceptable. It was a lovely two-story, with a nice little deck and everything. Maybe I could convince my dad to install a porch swing when he wasn't busy.

"This house is tiny," my mother stated as soon as she saw it. My father rolled his eyes with humor.

"It has the same amount of square feet as our last house, honey," he said in his placating voice.

"The realtor must have lied to you," my mother answered shortly.

"Honey, we've been over this. Moving is clearly what was best for Katherine. And the house is perfect. And I measured it myself. It's the same size as our old home," my father reasoned with her. She just huffed and looked away.

This type of attitude was typical of my mother. When she doesn't get her way, she throws a fit, making sure no else around her is happy. Today, though, she couldn't put a damper on anyone's mood.

We started unpacking before the rain moved in. I started laughing when my mother was getting the last box and it started to drizzle on her. She glared at me, but I couldn't care today. This feeling was great.

We left all of my things in boxes so we could paint my room tonight. If we were lucky, it would be inhabitable by tomorrow. I picked the perfect shade of sky blue, and it looked amazing on my walls. The doctors had also told me that looking at the blue sky was an intense relaxer. I couldn't see the real blue sky here, but they said even painting a wall would work just as well. I needed relaxation. I would put everything into its new place tomorrow; I was tired, and fell asleep on the cot in the living room almost instantly. For once, I had a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

My father could tell the difference that morning; his eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Sleep well?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could manage, but he looked too eager.

"Amazingly so. Like, so well it shouldn't be possible," I answered happily. My father's joy was infectious. My mother was still asleep, so we had a quick breakfast of cereal and went to work. We started setting up the living room, then the spare bedroom upstairs, and finally the kitchen. My mother doesn't cook by rule, so that was my father's department.

She woke up sometime around eleven in the morning, but she was too cranky to be of any help, so we made her watch with a cup of coffee in her hands. She was more than happy to do nothing. She was naturally lazy.

The dining room was easy, since only a hutch and the table set went in there. After that, only my room and the master bedroom needed attention. Since I wanted my room to be my personal space, my father was more than happy to just let me set it up by myself. He simply continued on to my parents' bedroom.

I was amazed at how fast the paint had dried in here. I started moving my queen bed where I wanted it, and my dresser and desk. I spent less than fifteen minutes putting things in my closet; I didn't have that many clothes that fit me properly anymore. My new Fender stood on its own little stand at the foot of my bed, and a bedside table finished the furniture part.

I started hanging all of my artwork up on the walls. Aside from Beast, I didn't have friends, so my art replaced the pictures that should be on the wall. Except for the one photo of me and my dad when he took me fishing ten years ago. That one was in its own special frame on my bedside table. It was a surprisingly good picture.

Before I knew it, I had skipped lunch and it was time for dinner. My father had ordered pizza; neither of us were up to cooking after a long day of work. He even bought my mother her own little personal salad. She hated pizza. She claimed it would make her fat.

I was nervous about my first day of school in a few days time. I had been homeschooled since the age of eight, when it was clear I couldn't handle being with so many people at the normal school.

I had been sleeping soundly that night until two in the morning, when I heard my father banging around the house.

"Trista, I don't care if I haven't officially started the damn job yet! They need my help!" I heard him shout at my mother.

She responded with gusto. "This is ridiculous! We came here to avoid crime like this! I want to move back home _now_!"

I stumbled out of bed and into the hallway in time to see my father rush by. He saw me, and a look of panic almost broke on his face, but he shoved it away. He kissed me on the forehead and said, "It's nothing to worry about, sweetie. Just a little vandalism by the local kids. We'll put them straight." That last part was snarled. "Go back to bed, everything will be just fine."

"Be careful," I said, sleep muffling my voice, and I gave him a hug and collapsed back into bed.

The next morning I found out what happened from our kind neighbor, Mrs. Crowley. She and my mother were having coffee when I came downstairs for breakfast.

"It was awful. I heard about it from the Stanleys. The entire school, burnt to the ground!" She was telling my mother.

"Just terrible," my mother commented, sipping her coffee.

"Someone burned down the school?" I asked incredulously. I had seen Forks High School from the highway. It looked like a nice school.

"Oh, it was the tribal school up on the Indian reservation," Mrs. Crowley said sadly. "It wasn't very big, and the whole thing was made of wood, so it didn't take long for it to burn to nothing."

"Who would burn down a school?" I gasped. Surely school couldn't be that horrible? I mean, you didn't hear about kids burning down schools on the news every day, right?

"Unfortunately, I think some of the local boys here in Forks did it. Chief Swan and a few of the other deputies caught them before they could get too far," Mrs. Crowley looked upset that something so horrible could happen in this town. At least the boys were going to be outcasts for doing this… I think.

"That's good, I guess," I said lamely. I honestly didn't know what to say.

"I'm just afraid it's racism," my mother put in needlessly. "I mean, an Indian school? Why else?"

"I'm sure the boys were just planning on playing a prank, and things just got out of hand," Mrs. Crowley said confidently.

The front door opened, and my father walked in, looking dead tired.

"Oh, honey! What's happened?" my mother asked, sounding far more worried than I knew she felt. She just wanted to gossip so the other women in the neighborhood would like her.

"Damn teenage boys," my father muttered. "The whole tribal school is gone. Nothing but ashes left. There were burnt matches and empty gas cans all over the place. They knew what they were doing, the little punks. Thankfully, Chief Swan seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He's going to push the DA for the punks to be charged as adults."

"It doesn't help that Charlie is good friends with the Blacks and the Clearwaters," Mrs. Crowley added. She turned to me and said, "They live up on the reservation. I think the Clearwater boy is still in high school, too."

I stayed in my room for the rest of the day, listening to music on the radio. I didn't get any kind of music player in the hospital, so I was soaking up my new music fix while I could, writing down the names of songs and bands I liked to look up later.

I realized at about five o'clock that night that I forgot to eat both breakfast and lunch. I was notorious for forgetting to eat. It drove my father insane.

Dinner was filled with talk about the fire. No one had been hurt, but the fallout was just beginning. The boys who did it were already treated like convicted felons. They were probably regretting their past decisions by now. It had been decided that the twenty or so students that attended the school would be attending Forks High School until the school was rebuilt… which would be paid for by the boys who burned it down. I was really liking this town so far. Except for the whole fire thing. But how the town was dealing with it was awesome.

As my first day of school approached, I was getting more and more nervous. When my classmates asked about my previous school, would they believe I had been homeschooled? Could I act normal long enough to make a friend that didn't think they turned into a fluffy monster?

The night before my first day, I realized I was scared. I was more than scared, I was terrified. There were too many unknowns for me to ever be comfortable with the situation. All I could hope for was that time would move quickly, and I could just come home.

* * *

How do people stand this? I was standing in front of the administration office, trying to scrounge up the courage to go inside. This wasn't even a class. I just had to go talk to the secretary to get my schedule. That's it. So why was I so afraid?

I already knew the answer, though. While I wasn't afraid of the office, I was afraid of school itself. Knowing that I was going inside to get my schedule so I could attend classes was what was making me pause. Stupid psychology. Knowing why I was afraid didn't make the fear actually go away.

"Hey! Is this the admin office?" a booming voice called out so loud I jumped. I turned to see about a dozen Native American teenagers, looking around the campus. The boy who spoke to me could not be called a boy by anyone with proper eyesight. He was huge! He had to be at least a foot taller than me, and he was seriously muscled. Like, Wolverine from X-men muscled. Like, Beast muscled.

"Um, yeah," I answered too quietly. There was no way he could have heard me. But apparently he did.

"Thanks. Wait, you aren't from around here, are you?" he asked. He had big black eyes and an even bigger grin. So he was just like Beast: a huge, scary guy, but incredibly nice to the bone.

"No, I just moved here," I said, my voice louder this time. I could be friends with him easily. I just had to remember that he and Beast were a lot alike.

"Ah, John Carter's kid, right? We met him when he came up to help Charlie – I mean, Chief Swan with the fire."

I smiled. He was just as friendly as Beast, too. "Yeah, my name is Katherine." I held out my hand to shake his. His hand engulfed mine, and he was burning up!

"I'm Brady, and yes, I'm naturally this warm. Genetics," he said simply.

My eyes widened in shock and embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I – "

"Hey, it's cool. Happens all the time. So, why are we standing out here when our schedules are in there?" he asked, pointing at the office.

I blushed. "Because I'm an idiot. We should go get those now. I'm sure class will start soon."

"Would you chill out? I'm not gonna bite, I promise."

I flinched at his word choice, but I shrugged it off with a smile. "Okay. Shall we go face the horrors of public school?"

"It's not a horror to me anymore," he laughed. "Why don't you sit with me and my friends at lunch today? I think they'd like you."

I blinked, shocked, but I recovered quickly. "Sounds great!"

He and I chatted while everyone got their schedules and started going their separate ways.

"What grade are you in?" Brady asked while we waited for the overrun receptionist.

"Junior," I replied automatically. "You?"

"Yes! I'm a junior, too! Hopefully we'll have classes together. If not, I'm sure we'll have classes with Seth or Collin. They're in the same grade, too, even if Seth is a year older than us. He had to drop out for a year, but he's back," Brady replied.

"At least he came back," I said. Too many kids dropped out and never finished. It was kind of sad.

"Yeah. He's not here yet, he had to deal with his bitch of an older sister, but he'll be here by lunch."

The poor receptionist finally got to us, and we immediately compared schedules.

"Awesome! We have four classes together!" Brady exclaimed. I know I had a big grin on my face, too. Having a normal friend was exciting.

"I have History first, but I'll see you in Algebra 2, so save me a seat!" I called as we went our separate ways.

"Will do! Don't die!" he called back.

"You too!" I shouted. I was so happy. I had a new friend, and class hadn't even started yet. It seemed like this town is perfect for me.

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	3. Suddenly, School Doesn't Suck So Much

**Wow, eight reviews in two days! I figured you guys deserve a treat after that. And the reviews were nice and long, really thorough. You have no idea how much that means to me! Enjoy!**

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Seth's POV

I had to drag myself off the Cullen's couch that morning. I didn't get much sleep because I was nervous about school. I wouldn't normally be nervous about school, but I wouldn't be going to the school on the rez that I had been attending my whole life. I was going to Forks High today because some douchebags had to go burn the rez school down.

How were the normal kids going to react to a bunch of Native American kids at their school? That question had been bugging me all night.

I wasn't worried about myself or any of the pack. We could hold our own against fifty regular high school kids without any help. I was worried about some of the non-wolf kids and the girls.

"It will be fine, Seth," Edward reassured me as I devoured the delicious breakfast Esme had made for me, Jake, and Nessie.

"I hope so," I muttered, knowing all too well that he could hear me just fine. How could I not worry about the kids that couldn't defend themselves?

"Seth, dude, it's Forks High. They're not gonna eat you alive, I promise," Jake laughed. Nessie was smiling as well, looking like she was seven years old in spite of the two years she had actually lived.

"I'm worried about the other kids," I defended myself.

"Boys, that's enough. Just eat your breakfast, and everything will be fine. You'll see," Esme reassured me. I relaxed. She just has that effect on people.

After breakfast, I decided to take a shower. I had enough time before school started for a nice long one. But a howl ripped through the air, and I knew what Jake was going to say.

"That's Embry. Let's go," he said in a tone of voice that left no room for discussion.

"I'll call the school for you, Seth," Esme offered kindly. I swear, that woman is a second mom to me. I kissed her on the cheek before I ran out the door with Jake.

As soon as we phased, Embry filled us in. A solitary vampire had passed by, but had turned away once he caught the scents of the Cullens. We searched for a few hours, but couldn't pinpoint him. Around lunch, Quil and Leah showed up, so I took off for school.

I dropped by the Cullens to get real clothes (I'm pretty sure Forks High frowns upon nothing but cut-off jeans for an outfit), and Esme was there to wish me luck. She is so awesome.

Edward let me borrow the Volvo, claiming it would look strange if I just ran to school. He had a point, so I took him up on that offer. Plus, the Volvo is a really nice car.

When I arrived, I made sure to park in between two other small cars so the doors wouldn't get dinged. That would really suck. I think I got here before lunch, so everyone was still in class.

The receptionist in the front office looked tired. With twenty extra students, I could understand why. She handed me my schedule, and told me that lunch was in five minutes, so I shouldn't bother to go to my fourth period.

I was first in line in the cafeteria, so I got a nice, big lunch and found a big table. As expected, no one came near me.

Collin got to the table first. "Hey Seth. What did you guys find this morning?"

"Just a scent. Leah and Quil are with Jake now."

"Cool. By the way, Brady has a new friend," he warned me.

"Why?" I asked incredulously. It was the first day of school and he already had a friend?

"Yeah, she's eating lunch with us. She's shy, but she seems pretty cool," Collin informed me. I groaned. It was hard enough to keep the secret around so many people. Now Brady was going to have some random girl sit with us?

That wasn't fair. I guess I was just cranky from the lack of sleep last night.

"Brady is positive someone is going to imprint on her," Collin said in a low voice. I could feel my eyes widen.

"What makes him think that?"

"I have no clue," Collin shrugged. "But he's completely serious. He says she would fit right in with the pack."

I groaned again. This was the last thing we needed right now.

"Seth! Collin!" I heard Brady shout from the other side of the cafeteria. He was walking towards us with… an angel at his side.

She was tall and thin, with long, lustrous brown hair flowing to her waist. She had bright, milk chocolate eyes that seemed to stare right through me. She had pale white skin, and jeans that were too long for her. She had an oval shaped face, with high cheekbones. Her lips were full, and a beautiful shade that was between pink and red. She was perfect in every way.

Nothing else mattered anymore. Not my family, not my friends, I had no dreams other than to see her smile. My heart was beating for her now.

I blinked, and realized what happened. Brady had been right. A wolf did imprint on her.

Brady saw my face, and smiled widely. "Hey guys, this is Katie. Katie, that's Collin and that's Seth."

She gave us a shy smile, and I wanted to jump up and hug her for looking so adorable. Not even angels were this beautiful. She was a goddess.

She looked at me then, and her eyes widened. I couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across my face. I was probably freaking her out.

I tried to turn my awestruck face into one of curiosity, and gave a little wave. I didn't trust myself to speak; I would end up declaring my undying love for her. Which would be pretty awkward.

She smiled a timid smile at me, then at Collin. I could have ripped out his spine and beat him to death with it for being given that smile, but I refrained.

Brady and my goddess Katie (had I ever realized how perfect that name was?) took their seats at the round table. Brady started devouring his food, but she daintily picked at her small salad. She needed to eat more than that. But how to say it without sounding creepy?

"Is that all you're eating?" Collin asked rudely. I was glad he had asked. I didn't care if she hated him.

"I've never eaten very much," she explained with a small smile.

"You should eat more," I suggested lightly. I didn't want to freak her out with the scary-intense tone some wolves get with their imprints. She seemed to be easily frightened.

"I probably should," she sighed. "But I'm so used to small portions."

"Just start steadily eating a little more each day. That should help," I suggested. I desperately wanted to make her eat more, but I could take things slow if that's what she needed.

"True," she agreed. I almost let out a sigh of relief, but then she stole a piece of pizza off my plate, took a big bite, and set it back on my plate.

She finished chewing and smiled. "Better?"

"Eh, works for me," I said nonchalantly. I wanted to pick her up and jump up and down in happiness. She already liked me enough to tease me! That had to be a good sign.

"Stop guarding your food, Collin. You look retarded," Brady laughed. Sure enough, I looked at Collin and he had a protective arm around his lunch tray.

Katie giggled. "I'm not going to take your food, Collin. I promise."

Collin looked at her warily. "I'm making sure."

Katie started to really laugh now. "Oh my God, you're worse than Beast!" she managed to say.

"Who?" I asked warily. I loved hearing her laugh, but who the hell was Beast?

"Beast," Katie shrugged. "He was my best friend back in Seattle. The… school we attended never let him get as much food as he wanted, so I would always get extra to give to him. He would snarl at anyone who came near either of us while food was on the table. It was hilarious."

"I'm guessing Beast is a nickname," I hinted, trying to get her to tell me more without demanding information.

"Oh, yeah, he was super tall and buff, like you guys," she explained. "It's so weird, you guys remind me so much of him. He's Native American, too."

"That's weird," Collin said shortly. "How'd he get that nickname?"

"Well, he was the only one that tall at our old school, and Beast just seemed to fit him," she said simply. "Plus, it was more fitting than my nickname."

Her eyes widened. It didn't take a genius to guess that she hadn't meant to say that last part.

"What was your nickname?" Brady asked with a devilish grin on his face. I was about to tell him to shut the hell up, but Katie answered first.

"I went to a small school, so it was K-12," she started. "Some of the younger kids had just seen the Disney movie 'Beauty and the Beast', and they heard me use the nickname Beast. They asked if my nickname was Beauty so it would match, and I said no. But it stuck."

"So your nickname is Beauty?" I asked. It fit her perfectly. She was absolutely stunning.

"Not anymore. Now it's Katie. Brady said so," she said, as if that ended the argument.

"I like Beauty better," I smiled.

"Good for you. My name is Katie," she insisted.

We spent the rest of lunch bantering like that, just getting to know one another while we ate. She finished her whole salad quickly, and I snuck a breadstick onto her bowl, which she unknowingly ate as well.

Once the bell rang, we had figured out I had five classes with her. I had to share her with Brady during two of them, but the rest of the time, it was just me and her. We had Art, then Gym together. Before I knew it, it was time to go home.

Katie looked a little nervous as we walked to the parking lot with Brady and Collin. When we got to the blacktop, she stopped, found a bench, and gracefully sat down.

"What are you doing?" Brady asked. We approached her little bench that would probably collapse if three wolf-boys sat on it.

"Waiting for my dad to come pick me up," she sighed. "I don't have a driver's license."

"Why not?" Collin asked.

"In the city, there was no need," she replied simply.

"Then we'll wait with you," I said, and took a seat beside her.

Her face got a little pink. "You don't have to wait with me!"

"No, we don't, but we're going to," Brady said, sitting on her other side.

"Do you guys have a ride?" she asked curiously while we waited.

"I borrowed a friend's car for today," I answered. Brady looked at me, a confused look on his face. Oh, he probably thought I meant Jake's Rabbit. He didn't let anyone drive that thing. Except Nessie. It was weird to see a seven-year-old behind the wheel.

"Edward let me borrow the Volvo," I explained. His nose instantly scrunched up. Yeah, it smelled bad, but who cares? It was a nice car, and Edward would think the same thing when he drove it next. We all suffered a little, but it was really nice of him to let me borrow the car. Why didn't the other wolves see how great the Cullens were once you gave them a chance?

Katie, unfortunately, saw Brady's expression. "What's wrong with a Volvo? It's a decent make. Does Edward not take care of it?"

"No," I answered, and pointed to the car in the near-empty lot. "It's the silver car over there. Brady just doesn't like the cologne Edward wears. The whole car smells like it."

I saw Collin trying to hide a laugh behind a cough. Katie stared at him before she asked, "You okay, Collin?"

"Yeah, yeah, just fine," he responded immediately, still trying to hide his grin.

A police cruiser pulled up just then, and at first I thought it was Charlie. A closer look at the driver revealed a man in his early forties, too young to be Charlie. The window rolled down and the driver was openly staring at us.

"Hi, Daddy!" Katie greeted in a happy voice. So this was Katie's father. I needed to make a good impression.

"These are my new friends, Seth, Brady, and Collin," she said, pointing to each one of us as she introduced us. "Guys, this is my dad, John."

"Hello, sir," I greeted him as calmly as I could.

"Hello," he said in return, a small frown on his face.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" Katie gave us a big smile, and got in the passenger's seat. Just like that, they drove away.

"Nice, Seth," Collin said. "You imprinted on the daughter of the new police deputy."

I groaned. Life couldn't be easy, could it?

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**If only Seth new how difficult it's going to get... Oh well! That's for another day! Please review, and vote in the poll!**


	4. Creepy In So Many Ways

**Twelve reviews! It's a personal record. I've never had that many reviews for a single chapter before. School is starting to get crazy, but I have a certain time allotted for writing and updating my story, so we should have a new chapter at least once a week. Thank you all for your support and your reviews! They mean the world to me!**

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Katie's POV

The past three weeks have been the best three weeks of my life. There was nothing but joy and color in my life now. My old life and my old mental state had been placed in my past – where it would stay. After all, a crazy girl couldn't be Seth's girlfriend.

It didn't take long for me to develop a crush on Seth. I think it took, what, two minutes? He had stared at me like I was the only girl in the world. He made me feel special… in a good way.

We could talk for _hours_ and never run out of things to say. Or we would just sit in a comfortable silence neither of us was willing to break. My heart beat faster when I was with him. I would watch him out of the corner of my eye when he wasn't looking. His smile took my breath away.

I could go on for hours about Seth and how amazing he was.

Brady and Collin had become good friends, too. Brady shared my love of music, and was constantly introducing me to bands that I had never heard of. Collin was a little shy, but had a wicked mind for pranks. They were always clever and tailored for the person he was pranking.

Like when he pranked Jacob Black. He had me call the Cullens' home phone when no one but Jake and Nessie were home, because he wouldn't recognize my voice… and we had to make sure the Cullens weren't home because they might kill Jake if they thought the prank was real.

_The phone was ringing, and Collin and Brady were as close to me as physically possible so they could hear._

"_Hello?" a deep male voice answered. It had to be Jake._

"_Hello, I'm Caroline with Planned Parenthood. I have some test results for Nessie Cullen," I said calmly, in my most professional voice._

"_What?" Jake screeched._

"_I'm not allowed to give her results over the phone, but she needs to come in right away," I said, still calm as could be. Collin and Brady were cracking up._

"_Planned Parenthood? Nessie is seven, you freaks!"_

"_Sir, there is no reason to yell. Please let Nessie know that we need to see her. Goodbye," I said, and hung up. In no time at all, the three of us were on the ground laughing like fools._

_Two minutes later, the phone was ringing._

"_Do the Cullens have caller id?" I asked nervously. Both boys shrugged._

_Oops._

I smiled, remembering how much Jake had yelled at me over the phone. About five minutes into Jake's curse-word-laced rant, I just started laughing. Brady and Collin joined in, too, and Jake finally realized it was a prank. Then he had been even more pissed off than before. It was so epic.

My dad had been nervous about my friendship with three enormous guys at first. I could understand why. They are rather intimidating at first. Once Dad talked with Charlie Swan, he calmed down a bit. Once he talked to Seth himself, he had relaxed completely.

I was currently waiting for Seth to come pick me up. He and the guys were taking me to First Beach to hang and meet the rest of their group of friends. It had taken me hours to decide on an outfit. I really needed to go shopping. My wardrobe was pitifully empty. I guess that's what happens when you're in the mental hospital for a year and you grow out of all your clothes.

I had settled for a nice deep purple scoop-neck long-sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans, and my dad's old flannel shirt. That thing was so warm, I wouldn't need a coat. Plus, it was really baggy and it looked good with the tightness of my boot-cut jeans and the form-fitting top.

My black combat boots from the Army surplus store finished the look. I didn't look half bad. For the first time in my life, I wished I was one of those fashionable girls who knew exactly what to wear to make a guy stare but not think you're a slut. But the girly part of me died the same day as my brother.

I skipped into the kitchen to see my father doing dishes and my mother sipping a cup of coffee.

"I'll put those away when I get back," I said to my father, kissing him on the cheek and sitting at the table.

My father laughed. "Well, you're in a good mood."

"I am, aren't I?" I giggled. "Seth is coming by any minute now to pick me up."

My father finished the last plate and put it on the shelf to dry. "Tell him I said hi. I need to go grocery shopping. Be home before ten."

"I will, Daddy," I responded. He kissed me on the forehead, got his things, and left.

Not two minutes later, Seth knocked on the door. I opened it, and there he was, smiling widely.

"Hey," I said breathlessly.

"Hey," he replied. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I – phone! Be right back!" I shouted over my shoulder as I ran back upstairs to get the cell phone I had almost forgotten.

"You're so forgetful!" he shouted back.

I quickly unplugged my charging phone, looked around my room to make sure I wasn't missing anything, and walked back downstairs. I remembered we weren't in a rush.

Seth was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me, looking a little freaked out.

"Seth, is something wrong?" I asked cautiously.

"Nope, nothing, just got a weird text. You ready to go?" He said this all very quickly, and his voice was higher than usual. He was lying through his teeth, but I would interrogate him later.

"Yeah, let's go." Before I even finished my sentence, Seth grabbed my hand and hauled me outside to his car.

"Bye, Mom!" I shouted to her over my shoulder. Seth flinched. What was that all about?

As soon as we got in Seth's Ford F-150, he sped away. I fumbled for my seatbelt. He usually drives like an upstanding citizen, not a dare-devil teenager.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Seth, stop lying. Tell me what happened," I demanded.

Seth didn't answer. He just kept staring straight ahead, a determined glare on his face. I openly stared at him the whole way to the beach, hoping he would cave under my own hard glare. He didn't glance at me once.

When we pulled into the small gravel parking lot at the beach, he still didn't look at me. He got out of the truck and started marching ahead, while I fumbled – again – with my seatbelt. I had to jog to keep up with his long strides, so I was breathing heavily as we approached his friends.

Brady and Collin were waiting for me, looking as happy and normal as ever.

"Hey, Katie! Took you long enough!" Brady exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Yeah, did Seth and your dad get into another long-ass conversation again?" Collin asked as he took his turn for a hug.

I glared at both of them. "Be nice. I forgot my phone, so I wasn't ready to go when Seth got to my house," I explained.

"Oh well, you're here now. Let's introduce you to everyone," Brady grabbed my shoulders and gently steered me towards the large group of Native Americans chatting around a campfire.

With Seth's weird attitude on the way here, I had forgotten about my apprehension. My nervousness came back with a vengeance when I saw how many people were waiting, watching our approach. They looked kind, but that could change in a second.

I looked around, and realized someone was missing from our group.

"Where did Seth go?" I hissed to Brady. "He promised he would stick to my side all night if I came today."

"Huh," Brady said intelligently. "Sam and Jake are missing, too. He must have wanted to talk with them first. Don't worry so much, Katie. Seth will be back in a few minutes."

I smiled timidly at the group waiting for us. "He better be."

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Seth's POV

Sam and Jake saw my face as soon as I got out of my truck. They knew something was up, and they knew I needed to talk about it _now_.

I could feel Katie's frustration as she tried to keep up with my quick pace, but if I slowed down, I would be next to her, and I would tell her everything. But I couldn't tell her. It would crush her.

Once Brady and Collin had my fragile imprint, I snuck into the forest on one side of the beach. Sam and Jake quickly followed.

I found a small clearing, and waited for them to catch up. It took everything in me not to phase right there. Katie had been a leash for my anger, and now that she was safe somewhere else, I was pissed.

"What happened?" Sam demanded as soon as he and Jake reached the clearing.

"Katie's mom is a cougar!" I cried out instantly. They both looked at me like I was insane.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm not kidding! How awkward and weird and creepy is this?" I was rambling, and I couldn't care less.

"Seth, explain what happened," Jake said firmly, the Alpha present in his voice.

"As soon as I got to Katie's house, she realized she forgot her phone in her room, so she ran up to get it," I said quickly. "Her mom instantly started making these weird, pointed remarks that were… well, pretty much saying that her husband was gone a lot and she wanted to have sex with me! I started to back away, and she was pretty much stalking me around her house until Katie came down. It's so creepy and gross! I love her daughter! How am I supposed to tell Katie her mom wants me?"

"Seth, stop," Sam said exasperatedly. "I know, this is incredibly disturbing. And I think it would be a bad idea to tell Katie right now. Let her get to know the pack and the imprints first, then tell her that her mother made you slightly uncomfortable this morning, and you think it would be better if you came by when her whole family is home."

"Yeah, okay, that sounds… less creepy," I agreed.

"Good," Jake sighed. "Sam, has this ever happened before?"

"Not to my knowledge," Sam replied. "Let's go back to the beach. I'm sure Katie is nervous without you there."

I snorted. "I doubt it. Brady and Collin are her friends as much as I am."

Jake burst out laughing, and Sam smiled.

"I think she already sees you as more than a friend, Seth," Sam said cryptically.

When we got back to the clearing, Katie was talking animatedly with Kim and Emily, holding Claire on her lap. I guess I worried over nothing. Katie did usually loosen up quickly once she got talking with someone.

The party lasted for the rest of the day, and Katie fit into the pack like a missing puzzle piece. She talked to everyone, even if she couldn't remember their names at first. I didn't know she could be this sociable. Maybe it was simply the fact that she belonged here. Whatever it was, I'm not complaining.

Twenty minutes before ten o'clock, I had to remind Katie that her father wanted her home soon. She looked so surprised. I guess she was having so much fun she lost track of time.

The drive back to her house was bittersweet. She was so happy, I never wanted to leave her so I could make sure she stayed that happy for the rest of her life. However, her father might have a problem with that, so I would just guard her house tonight, the same way I did every night since the day I met her.

When I pulled into her driveway, she made no move to get out, so I put the truck in park.

"Seth, what happened earlier today? What had you so upset?" she asked simply.

I froze. I had kind of been hoping she forgot about that.

"Someone said something that really upset me earlier. But I realized, after a talk with Sam and Jake, that it wasn't that important, and nothing to be upset over," I explained cryptically.

"What happened? Who said it?" Katie asked.

She could not let this go, could she? I wanted to tell her the truth, but she had such a great day. I didn't want to ruin it by saying her mother wanted to cheat on her father… with me.

"Katie? Can you just… can I tell you later?" I asked desperately.

"Later," she agreed reluctantly. Thank God for that… She is stubborn when she wants to be. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'll see you in school tomorrow, okay?" I said.

"See you tomorrow," she replied. She brushed her hand over mine, and got out of the car. I watched her walk inside.

Her hand was so small and cool to the touch. Is that her way of telling me she likes me? That would be amazing if she already liked me.

"Hey Daddy!" I heard her greet her father cheerfully with a kiss on his forehead.

"Still in a good mood?" he asked happily.

"Of course! I'll go put away the dishes for you," she laughed. I heard her skip into the kitchen and start unloading the dishwasher.

I reluctantly pulled out of the driveway before they realized I was still here. That would be awkward, and I already have way too much 'awkward' for her mother to deal with more.

She would see me tomorrow at school. I would watch her say goodnight to her father, and go up the stairs to get ready for bed in an hour. I was turning into a creepy stalker. Wonderful.

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**I'll update again in a week. Please review and vote in the poll! It's still up!**


	5. Small Town Antics

**The response to this story has been amazing. I already have 42 reviews! It's so exciting. I'm not going to be able to update until Monday at the absolute earliest (family drama sucks), so I figured I would give you an update tonight. Thank you for reviewing, favoriting, and adding! And for just being awesome!**

**I forgot to put this in earlier chapters, but it applies to them, this chapter, and every chapter after this: I do not own Twilight. Or Paramore. Or The Beatles. Or Floater. I'm a poor college student, so I couldn't afford any of them even if I wanted to.**

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Katie's POV

I thought today was going to be normal. Just a crappy Monday, with the boys to cheer me up and make me laugh. And swooning over Seth. Definitely swooning over Seth.

But I couldn't have that, could I? Life just had to be difficult. If I had known what was going to happen at school today, I wouldn't have even gotten out of bed.

But I did get out of bed, and I did go to school today, and I did fall into the biggest death-trap known to mankind. Actually, mankind didn't know about this. It would be mass chaos if even a few people believed the truth.

Today started out normal enough. Dad drove me to school before Mom even woke up. He waved at the boys before he drove away from the tiny high school I called my own. Seth, Brady, and Collin each gave me a hug before we started towards class (in that order). The rest of the day was typical, too. The boys distracted me from all of my classes, and the preppy bitches at this school were glaring at me because they were paying attention to me and not them.

At lunch, Seth made me eat a whole piece of pizza along with my typical salad. All three of them were convinced I was too thin still. Overprotective idiots. Brady placated my rising anger with a new band on his IPod.

"Who is this band?" I asked eagerly. It was a rock band, with a male lead singer. They were amazing.

"This is Floater. You're listening to the Sad Ballad of Danny Boy," Brady informed me.

"Oh yeah, Floater's pretty cool," Collin added. "They do these wicked concept albums that blow your musical mind away. They aren't that well-known off the West Coast, though."

"I don't know why. They're amazing," I commented. "Can you get me their CDs?"

Brady laughed. "We have _got_ to get you an IPod."

"IPods are too expensive, and I refuse to pay over a hundred dollars on a tiny little thing that's going to break in a year anyways," I stated. "My CD player is much more reliable. And if it does break, I can buy a nice, brand new one for twenty bucks."

"But they're huge," Brady complained.

"They fit in a sweatshirt pocket, and that's all I need," I declared.

"You wear _our_ old sweatshirts! _Anything_ can fit in those pockets, they're so huge!" he argued.

"Which is why I love stealing them. Now, quit insulting my favorite things, or I'm telling the P.E. teacher you take steroids," I threatened.

"I don't take steroids, though!" Brady protested.

"It's not like it would take much to convince Coach Clap you're on them, Brady. That body speaks for itself," I pointed out.

"You wouldn't," Brady deadpanned.

"I would," I insisted cheerfully.

Before Brady could reply, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"C'mon, you two, time for P.E.," Seth said, pulling me up.

"You better not say anything to Coach, Katie," Brady warned.

"I won't if you stop making fun of my stuff," I reminded him. He glared, then sighed.

"Fine."

After our fun banter, everything went downhill. First, Coach decided we would be playing volleyball today. The boys instantly stepped closer to me. They knew I was awful at sports. Second, Lindsey, one of the girls who hated me for hanging out with the guys, suggested we play boy versus girl. Coach instantly agreed.

So, I was standing on one side of the volleyball net, and the boys on the other. I made sure I avoided the ball like the plague (having absolutely no experience in the athletic department made me a little nervous), but Coach quickly caught on.

"Katherine! Try to actually hit the ball!" he shouted to me. Lindsey and her clones started giggling.

Thankfully, Collin was serving the ball next, and tossed me an easy hit. I had my hands together the right way, and I was completely focused on the ball. _I can do this,_ I kept thinking to myself. Dr. Carvay said positive thinking actually works, so I figured I would try it out.

It might have actually worked, too, if Lindsey wasn't a complete bitch. She pushed me out of the way, and I flew to the side. I hit my head on one of the nearby bleachers, and my vision blurred.

I could have sworn I heard a roar, too, but maybe head injuries affect hearing as well. I couldn't really remember. The pain exploding just above my forehead was all I could really focus on.

I could hear all three of my boys calling my name, but it seemed like Seth was closer. It was probably just wishful thinking.

Then a pair of unnaturally warm arms wrapped around me and lifted me up, while Seth yelled, "Katie! Katie! Can you hear me?"

"For God's sake, yes," I moaned. He was screaming right in my ear.

"Oh, thank God," I heard Seth whisper. Slowly, the chatter around us increased into yelling. I could vaguely hear Coach saying something about the hospital. Then I heard a crash, and Lindsey was yelling, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Time was passing by in a blur. First I was in the gym, lying in Seth's arms (which were incredibly comfortable), then I was in a car, still in Seth's arms (still not complaining), then in a parking lot, where I was still enjoying the warmth of Seth's arms. When I looked up and saw the monolith of a white building in front of me, I whimpered. I didn't want to go back to the mental institute. I hadn't done anything to make them think I should go back, right?

"It's alright, Katie, we're at the hospital now. You're gonna be fine," Seth whispered to me as we headed for the big double doors. Right. Normal hospital for normal people. Seth probably thought I was in pain or something.

Brady and/or Collin probably ran in ahead of us, since two nurses with a gurney were waiting for us in the lobby. Seth gently settled me on the gurney and took my hand in a tight grip.

"I hate hospitals," I muttered as they ran me somewhere with the gurney flying through the halls.

"Don't worry, baby, everything's going to be fine," Seth reassured me. Wait, did he just call me baby? No, it must have been something else. My delusional mind is playing tricks on me again. At least they're nice tricks for once.

They took x-rays, and made Seth wait outside in the waiting room so he wouldn't get radiation poisoning. Both Brady and Collin had to hold him back from following me. If I wasn't crazy, I would totally ask him out. Actually, I probably wouldn't. I value his friendship too much to risk it all in a relationship. But wouldn't it be wonderful if it was one of those relationships that lasted forever?

An hour later, I was waiting for the doctor in a stationary hospital bed with my boys around me. My father was on his way. Seth had the good sense to call him fifteen minutes ago.

"How are you feeling?" Collin asked for the thousandth time in the past five minutes.

"Like I said before, I feel fine now. I'm not even woozy. If that changes, you'll be the first to know," I reassured him.

"Don't worry, Katie, Carlisle is the best doctor ever. You're in good hands with him," Brady said. I glared at him.

"How are you on a first-name basis with the doctor?" I asked icily.

"We're boys. We do stupid things." Brady just shrugged my anger off. Which only pissed me off even more.

"Like what?" I asked. My voice wasn't ice anymore; it was acid.

"Nothing that damaged them permanently, if you're wondering," a velvet voice said. I felt my stomach fall and my heart stop. I didn't want to turn around, but I knew the part I had to play to get out of here.

"That's good to hear," I said a little faintly. He was exactly how I remembered his kind. Heavenly voice, pale white skin, frighteningly beautiful, but… amber eyes instead of red. Perhaps I was overreacting?

_It's all in your head, Katie, it's all in your head…_ I kept chanting to myself.

"I'm Dr. Cullen. How are you feeling, Katie? Headache, lightheaded, tired?" he asked politely, inspecting my wound. His hands were light, but they were still ice cold. I wanted to scream in terror, but I swallowed it and answered his question as normally as I could.

"A little tired, but other than that, I'm fine," I said.

_I'm not going back… I'm not leaving my new life… I'm not leaving Seth, or Brady or Collin… He's not a vampire… It's all in your head… He's not a vampire…_

"Your x-rays look fine. You might feel a little dizziness when standing, but you should make a full recovery in a day or so," Dr. Cullen said with a smile.

"When should she go back to school?" Collin asked.

"I would stay home today at least," Dr. Cullen advised, still looking a little amused. "But I would recommend staying home tomorrow as well."

_Don't let him know you're terrified of him. He might look at your records, and he might recommend sending you back!_

"Thank you, doctor," I said with a forced smile, and he left.

I didn't say another word after that. My dad came roaring in two minutes later, so he effectively transferred the attention from me to himself. He said my mother was at a neighbor's house, but she should be home when we got there. Surprisingly, my dad didn't complain when the boys insisted on coming with us. Maybe it was part of the guy code Beast mentioned a couple years ago.

I was thinking hard the whole way home, wondering what I should do about Dr. Cullen. I clearly wasn't as cured as I thought I was. But usually I saw the same vampire that killed my brother; I had never seen another vampire before. That must mean that I'm coming to terms with my disease, if I was seeing vampires that weren't quite vampires. But it could mean my disease was spreading, too, imagining even more vampires. God, it was all so confusing. I really wish Dad had let Seth ride in the car with us instead of in Brady's car behind us. I could use one of his calming hugs right now.

When we got home, I desperately needed a hug from one of my boys. My mother was home waiting for us, as my father said, but she had a friend over as well! My mother and Mrs. Stanley got along so well because they both loved to gossip. I was positive Mrs. Stanley would make sure the whole town knew about my fall before sunset.

"Oh, my poor baby!" she screeched as my father and I walked in the door, pulling me into a huge hug. "Are you okay? Were the doctors nice? What did they say? Are you going to be alright?"

She was in full fussing mode, but she was overdoing it. I knew she was acting this way because of Mrs. Stanley, and she wanted the whole town to know how much she loved her daughter. Instead of seeing through my mother's pitiful performance, Mrs. Stanley was eating it up.

"I should get going, I just wanted to see you were okay for myself," Mrs. Stanley simpered. "Get well soon, Katherine!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Stanley," I said unconvincingly as she left out the front door. I wasn't in the mood for small-town antics tonight.

As soon as Mrs. Stanley was out of earshot, my mother dropped the façade instantly. "Katherine, couldn't you have been a little more polite? That was so rude. I don't care if you hurt your head, that's no excuse to be unkind, especially when she was so worried about you."

_Worried about the gossip I could give her…_ I added silently. I said aloud, "Sorry, Mom."

She scoffed at me and went upstairs.

"I'll fix dinner tonight, Katie. Sit down and get some rest, okay?" my dad suggested.

"Thanks, Daddy," I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. My dad and I usually cook dinner together, as a bonding thing. My mother was an awful cook. She wasn't allowed to make anything but coffee. And even then under strict supervision.

As soon as I heard the knock on the door, I rushed up to get it. Seth, Brady, and Collin were waiting with big smiles on their faces.

"We drove extra slow so your dad wouldn't get mad," Seth whispered as he hugged me tight.

"Good idea," I giggled quietly.

They each shouted greetings to my father, who shouted a greeting back to each of them in turn. We ended up on the couch, watching some baseball game. I was squished in between Seth and Brady, and Seth had his arm around my shoulder. I was nice and warm, and my head didn't even hurt anymore. I pushed the possibility that my insanity was returning to the back of my mind, where it belonged. I was too happy here to change now.

Seth smiled down at me while Brady and Collin cheered about something on the game. I think the Giants just scored a run or something. Or maybe the A's scored the run. I couldn't bring myself to care. Seth was just that amazing.

Seth suddenly looked up, and the fantastic grin was gone. In its place was a frown that looked all wrong on him.

I looked up to see what he was looking at, and saw my mother had entered the room with a strange look on her face. She looked delighted. I saw Brady and Collin also had frowns.

My mother gave me a full-blown smile and sweetly asked, "Katherine, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Now, I know the whole get-hurt-by-the-crazy-bitch-in-class is overused in fanfiction, but I needed an excuse for her to go to the hospital to meet Carlisle, so please forgive me for the unoriginality of it all! The originality will come back next chapter, I promise. And so will Seth's POV! So, until then, show me your love/hate for this story in a review! Thanks for being so amazing, as usual!**

**A few quick, unimportant notes: The poll is still up, so if you haven't voted yet, please do! Also, I was surprised by how shocked and surprised you all were to find out Katie's mom is a cheating cougar. Trust me, there's more to come!**


	6. A Quiet Day

**I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. Every time I sat down to write, something would get in the way. Without further delay, here is Chapter Six!**

* * *

Seth's POV

I froze as Mrs. Carter sent me a delighted smile. I saw her glance at Brady and Collin, and the smile only got wider. I saw them freeze, too, terrified looks on their faces.

"Katherine, are you always this rude? Introduce me to your friends," she said in a sweet voice, but with a predatory gleam in her eyes. She turned her attention back to me, and I could feel a cold sweat start to break out.

"Oh," Katie gasped. She was completely oblivious, but her mom was really going to have to watch it. Katie was a lot smarter than she pretended to be.

"That's Collin, and the one near Dad is Brady," Katie introduced each of them politely.

"Hi, Mrs. Carter," Brady and Collin muttered. Katie looked at Brady sharply. They were acting nervous, and Katie knew Brady was _never_ nervous. Collin, maybe, but not Brady.

"Oh, please, call me Trista!" Katie's mom laughingly insisted. "Mrs. Carter sounds so old!"

"Right, well, Seth's mom is cooking dinner for us tonight," Brady gave me a pointed look, "and we really shouldn't be late. We'll see you tomorrow, Katie."

"Uh, bye," she said automatically. She looked so surprised. As Brady and Collin left, I realized I needed to reassure her. I wanted to give her a hug, but that might seem like a little too much in front of her parents. Instead, I brushed the back of my hand against her cheek and gave her a big smile. She smiled right back, so I think she understood. Or, at least, she knew I wasn't leaving because of her.

"See you tomorrow, Katie, bright and early," I said.

"Bye," she whispered.

"Thanks for having us over," I said to her parents, mainly John. Brady and Collin were waiting for me outside by Brady's car. We were completely silent for ten minutes while Brady drove us back to La Push.

"Well, that was…" Brady started to say, but trailed off.

"Awkward as hell?" Collin offered.

"Yeah, awkward," Brady agreed. "Tough break, Seth. Your imprint's mom wants to sleep with you."

"Ewww…" I moaned. "She's at least twenty years older than me!"

"Yeah, good luck with that," Collin said. "I'd rather take on the nomad vamp that's been wandering around. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"What can I do about it?" I spat out. "There is no way in hell I'm sleeping with Katie's mom, and if I tell her I won't sleep with her, she might get pissed off and not let me see Katie!"

"This is true," Collin agreed. "So your best bet is to avoid Katie's mom like the plague, and hopefully she'll lose interest."

I groaned. "That doesn't sound like a good plan."

"It's all you've got," Brady said casually.

I groaned again.

* * *

Katie's POV

As soon as the boys left, I pounced on my father.

"So, what did you think of them?" I asked eagerly. "They're great, aren't they?"

"They're friendly. And much taller than normal boys," my dad said carefully.

I frowned. "Daddy, you like them, don't you?"

"I… I'd like to get to know them better before I make judgments," he replied cryptically. "Why don't you go get ready for bed? You've had a long day."

"Fine," I sighed, recognizing the dismissal. I bounded up the stairs to my room and changed into one of Seth's old T-shirts. Those old T-shirts were perfect sleep shirts. Not only were they incredibly comfortable, but they smelled like Seth, too. A woodsy scent, the way the pavement smells when it's just rained. It comforted me. It made me feel safe. Just like Seth.

I should call him. Let him know how much I appreciate everything he did for me today. That's what normal people do, right?

I tore through my room for ten minutes before I realized I forgot my phone downstairs. Thank God Brady wasn't here. He was always making fun of my forgetfulness.

I lightly skipped downstairs and into the living room, looking in the usual places. It was right on the coffee table. I picked it up, and checked for any missed messages or texts. Then I heard my father's voice, and what he said stopped me cold.

"Dr. Carvay, I'm really worried about her choice of friends. They're these giant boys from the Indian reservation nearby. They say they're about seventeen or eighteen years old, but they look like they're in their mid-twenties! The three of them are incredibly tall, and severely muscled. It's not normal. They have to be on steroids. How do I separate her from them without hurting her mental state?" my father pleaded.

The shock went deep, but the hurt went deeper. How could he think Seth and my boys were doing steroids? They were very physically active, and their good genetics definitely helped. Hadn't my father seen the other boys on the rez? They're all that huge, and they can't all be on steroids!

The crackly voice of Dr. Carvay cut through my thoughts. Thank god for speaker phone.

"I don't see the problem, John. I know you're nervous about Katie relapsing, but I'm certain she won't any time soon. Is it possible that you might be overreacting? It is common in parents of mentally unstable children," Dr. Carvay reassured him.

"I suppose it's possible," my dad sighed. "But isn't it odd that she only has enormous boys for friends? I mean, in the hospital, that boy Beast was her closest friend. To be perfectly honest, these boys look a lot like that Beast. Shouldn't she have female friends?"

"John, teenage girls befriend other teenage girls because they need someone to relate to and talk to. Friendships are based on the emotional needs of people, and teenage girls need that constant help from others who are going through what they themselves are going through. Katie doesn't need emotional support from other girls. She needs to feel safe, protected. She needs to have strong people by her side that can help her and make her feel safe. Clearly, having incredibly strong male friends is what makes her feel safe. If you have an objection to any of them, talk to Katie about it. She's not as fragile anymore, and I think it would benefit both of you," Dr. Carvay explained.

"I suppose you're right, Doctor. It makes a lot of sense, actually. And those boys really take care of her. Katie got hurt during PE today, and they didn't leave her side all day. They're coming over tomorrow morning first thing to stay with her, too," my dad said thoughtfully.

"Perhaps one of the reasons they're so physically fit is because they lost or almost lost a female friend close to them, and they were powerless to help her. It would explain their desire to keep Katie safe," Dr. Carvay added.

"That makes sense. Thank you for your help, Doctor. I know it's late, but I really needed to make sure there was nothing to worry about," my dad said sheepishly.

Knowing they weren't going to say anything else about me, I crept back to my room, cell phone in hand. I threw it on my bedside table, and I collapsed on my bed.

I wasn't friends with Seth and the others because they were big and strong. I was friends with them because I like them. They make me laugh, and make me feel safe. I like spending time with them.

Then again, friends don't lie to friends. I've been telling the boys that I attended a really small school with Beast when I really was in the mental hospital.

Ugh, I'm so confused. Maybe I should go back to therapy.

The next morning, my dad left for work and my mother left to run some errands. In other words, she was going to Port Angeles with Mrs. Stanley to go clothes shopping and get her nails done. Thankfully, me and the boys would get the house to ourselves all day.

After I threw baggy jeans, a T-shirt, and a too-large sweatshirt on, I went to get some breakfast. I devoured a bowl of cereal while I waited for my boys. Not ten minutes after I turned the T.V. on, the doorbell rang.

When I answered the door, only Seth was waiting for me.

"Hey," he smiled sheepishly. I smiled back, just happy to see him.

"Hey. Where are Brady and Collin?" I asked.

"They had to go help Sam with something at his house. But they let me go so I could take care of you today," Seth explained.

"Oh. Well, at least I got you, right?" I said happily.

Seth gave me a huge smile in return. "Yeah, you've got me. How are you feeling today?"

"Better," I replied. "Right, um, come inside."

I honestly had no idea what to do now. It was just me and Seth, with nothing to do. No Brady to discuss music with, no Collin to slip witty comments in and propose a diabolical prank. Just me and Seth. What were we supposed to do all day?

"Um, we could watch a movie," I suggested carefully. I honestly didn't know what else we _could_ do.

"Sounds good."

"Movies are to the left of the TV. You pick one out, and I'll get some snacks, okay?" I suggested while I started rummaging through the kitchen. I found four bags of chips, and a couple of sodas. That should hold Seth over for an hour. Maybe.

"Okay. What kind of movie do you want to watch?" Seth asked when I came back to the living room.

"I'm good with whatever," I said.

"You have a lot of horror and thriller movies," he mentioned.

"Yeah, my mom is obsessed with those. The bloodier, the better, she says," I shuddered. Those movies reminded me too much of my delusions. She would always make me watch them with her late at night when Dad was working late. They always gave me nightmares.

Seth picked a movie and hid the case while he put the disc in the player. He flopped onto the couch next to me, and grabbed one of the bags of chips.

When the opening credits were finished, I was finally able to see what movie he had picked. To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

"The Sound of Music?" I asked incredulously.

"You said it was one of your favorites. I know that when I'm not feeling well, I love watching my favorite movies. I figured you would, too," he shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. I can't even remember when I mentioned that I loved this movie. Seth was an amazing friend.

"Thanks. I doubt this movie makes your top ten," I said gratefully.

"Hey, Julie Andrews is pretty cool," Seth defended himself.

I snuggled into his side, absolutely loving the warmth that constantly radiated from him. We spent the rest of the day like that, just the two of us. I was actually a little happy that Brady and Collin couldn't come over today. Before I knew it, it was three o'clock in the afternoon.

"Wow, is it that late already?" Seth asked, dazed.

"I'm afraid so," I said sadly. I didn't want Seth to go; I loved being with him.

"Then I should get going. Sam and the guys are probably wondering where I am," he said just as sadly. "Call me if you need anything, okay? Promise me, Katie."

"Of course, Seth. Be careful," I said, cleaning up the mess we had made on the couch.

"Oh, and Katie? Try… just stay out of the woods, okay? Charlie's been hearing some rumors about some animal in there. So… just, keep away, okay?" Seth pleaded nervously.

"I will, Seth. I like seeing the trees from a distance," I said lightly. The look on Seth's face said he was dead serious. "I promise I won't, Seth."

"Okay. I'll call you later," Seth promised.

"I look forward to it. Now go, before the boys come and drag you away," I laughed, shooing him out the front door.

"They couldn't make me if they tried!" he shouted over his shoulder.

I laughed, and waved goodbye. He waved back, and drove away. I finished cleaning up while I waited for one of my parents to get home. They would appreciate that.

My mother came home half an hour later, looking excited.

"Hey Mom, what's up?" I asked as she practically danced around the kitchen.

"Nothing much. I just had a great day. Oh! And I got this new fruit juice Mrs. Crowley suggested. You want some?" she asked.

Unused to my mother's happy demeanor, I figured I should just go with it. Dad would be happy if she was in a good mood for once when he got home. "Sure, Mom."

She took her time pouring me a glass, using her body to shield what she was doing. It looked like she put more than just the juice in the glass, but it was probably just some sugar.

"Here you go, honey. Drink it all!" she said with a laugh. I did as she asked, happy that she was finally happy in Forks like me and Dad.

I didn't really understand why Mrs. Crowley suggested this brand. It wasn't anything special. It was good, but it wasn't _that_ good.

I heard my phone ringing in the front room, so I got up to get it, but I fell down. Everything swam in my vision, and I felt like I was moving through water. I could feel the cold tile beneath me, and I think I saw my mother approach me, but I passed out before I could be sure.

* * *

**I have no idea when the next chapter will be up. School has started to kick back up, so my schedule is random at best. Please review, and I'll get the next chapter up within the week! Thank you all for reading!**


	7. What Happened Last Night?

**Alright, I was bound and determined to not make you all wait so long for this next chapter. It gets a little grisly, but nothing overly descriptive. Just warning. And I've decided to hold a small type of contest. Read at the bottom for details. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Katie's POV

I woke up in the forest. My head was pounding, my wrists were throbbing, and I felt damn tired. I was in a tiny clearing, surrounded by towering trees, and it was pouring rain. I was soaked. But when I looked at my wrists, none of that mattered.

Red. I was covered in my own blood.

My wrists had been slit.

I felt sick to my core. I was cold, alone, with no idea where I was. Which direction was my house in? Should I start walking, or stay put and wait for someone to find me?

No. I would bleed out if I waited for someone to find me. Plus, did anyone even know I was out here? I can't remember.

I had spent the day with Seth. Those happy hours seemed so long ago. Maybe they were. Then… I talked to mom when she got home. She made me drink some new juice, then… everything got fuzzy after that. What the hell happened to me?

The sky was a blank gray. It could be early morning to late afternoon, as far as I could tell. I needed to figure out where I was, get an idea of which direction I needed to head in.

I started climbing a tree, trying to ignore the blood still dripping down my arms and the dizziness that was starting to take over. It felt like I was climbing forever before I finally was able to see over the canopies.

And I saw… a whole lot of nothing. Great. Just green for miles. Except… there was a blank spot in the trees, like there were a few missing in that spot. Actually, it looked like someone had cut a path through the trees. A road! It couldn't be far away, a mile at most.

I climbed down carefully, but I could feel the blood loss really start to get to me. The forest was spinning, but if I collapsed, there was no way I would make it. I would die here.

No. I finally got out of that white hell, and I was not going to die in some random forest. I was going to die in sixty years, surrounded by my family, after living a long, fulfilling, happy life.

Seth. His name suddenly popped into my head, completely unbidden. I wanted to see him again. I wanted to spend more days with him, just cuddled up on the couch, watching old movies and enjoying one another's company.

I liked him. Being here, thinking I might not make it back… it makes your feelings pretty damn clear, and I liked Seth as more than a friend. I needed to see him again, desperately.

I started marching through the underbrush, going in a straight line towards the road. I was going to make it. Once I got to the road, I would flag down a car, and hopefully they would take me to the emergency room.

The blood continued to pour down my wrists. I needed to bind it with something.

I ripped the hem on the bottom of my T-shirt, and started ripping it slowly into long, thin strips. I carefully wrapped them around my wrists tightly. That should help.

I was thinking clearly. It was kind of surprising. Wouldn't a crazy girl lose her mind out here? Maybe I was cured, and I might actually have a chance at a normal life. Maybe with Seth.

But why were my wrists cut, anyways? Could I have done this myself? I had heard of a lot of crazy kids that cut themselves. Some of the schizophrenic kids said it made the voices quieter, and the kids with severe night terrors said it makes them feel more in control. But why would I do this? I was happy! For the first time in my life, everything was going right. Why would I cut myself?

I continued to stumble through the woods. I was going to make it, damn it. I would call Dr. Carvay and ask him why I would do this to myself.

I saw a break in the trees, and I almost cried in relief. I could see the trees start to thin. But…

I did start to cry when I broke out of the trees. It wasn't a road. It was a river.

The trees started spinning faster, and I just couldn't stay on my feet for another second. I collapsed to the ground and just cried. There was no hope. Nothing. I would never get to see my parents or Seth again. The hopelessness felt like a physical weight pressing down on me, crushing me into the muddy ground.

"Katie? Katie, is that you?" I heard a heavenly voice call. But it wasn't Seth's voice, and I couldn't bring myself to care who it was, as long as they got me out of here.

Ice cold hands grabbed my shoulders, and I began to scream.

* * *

Seth's POV

Jake and I were patrolling for the nomad vamp when Alice and Esme found us. The little punk vamp had been avoiding us, but he's been around Forks for over three weeks now. He was here for a reason.

"Seth! Jake, tell Seth to come to the house now!" Esme called out. I ran up to her and Alice, wondering what could be so urgent.

"Seth, thank goodness! Katie is at our house, and she's been hurt!" Esme said frantically. My heart stopped. Katie? My Katie?

"She'll be fine, Seth, but you should really come back to the house to be with her," Alice said calmly. If Alice was calm, Katie was going to be fine. I was still worried, though.

I raced for the Cullen house, letting the world fall away behind me. Nothing mattered more than her. Even if I couldn't help her, I would be there with her to tell her everything would be alright. It had to be alright.

Someone had left a pair of my cutoffs right inside the woods. Probably Edward. I silently thanked him while I phased and quickly pulled them on.

I walked into the Cullen house, and to say I was surprised would be an understatement. After all, with Katie's reaction to Carlisle, it would be expected for her to be cowering in the corner, pale and trembling.

Instead, I walk in and hear her laugh, "I'm so raping you all!"

Sitting in front of the TV were Katie, Emmett, and Jasper, holding Xbox controllers. Katie was laughing manically, and Emmett and Jasper just looked shocked.

"I don't understand," Jasper muttered, frantically pressing buttons. "It's like I know every combination, and she just keeps pressing 'A'…" **(AN: If you know what show this is from, tell me in a review and I'll give you a little treat!)**

"How is this little girl kicking our asses so epically?" Emmett roared. "I mean, come on! Has she even played a video game before? Does she even know what Halo is?"

"Halo is the most bitchin' game to ever be created, and it just so happens to be my favorite video game ever. Fable is a close second," Katie said simply.

Emmett and Jasper started screaming suddenly, while Katie laughed and said, "Jetpacks and rocket launchers are an excellent combination, don't you think?"

"For God's sake, Jasper, kill her!" Emmett screeched.

"She won't stay still! I hate jetpacks!" Jasper replied.

Katie just kept laughing. I started to relax. Poor Emmett and Jasper. They probably had no idea how amazing my girl was at video games when they started to play with her. It was kind of surprising that she could beat out vamps, though.

Carlisle appeared behind me. "Seth, I know you want to stay with her, but can you come into the next room with me? We need to talk about Katie."

He sounded serious. I nodded, and watched Katie laughing. She looked so happy. I followed Carlisle into the dining room where Edward, Bella, Alice, and Esme were waiting for us around the table I knew they used only for family meetings.

"So, how did that happen?" I asked, jerking my thumb over my shoulder.

"Bella and I were out hunting when we smelled human blood. We found Katie lying by the river, her wrists bleeding," Edward started carefully. I jerked. Why would my Katie's wrists be bleeding? She wasn't suicidal, was she?

"No, Seth. I wish it were that simple," Edward said quietly. "Katie started screaming as soon as we picked her up, and we carried her back here to Carlisle. She was hyperventilating the whole time. I'm not going to tell you what she was thinking, Seth, that's up to her. But when she saw Emmett and Jasper's copy of Halo: Reach, she just stared at it. Emmett asked if she knew about videogames, she calmed down, and the three of them have been playing it for hours. It's actually very nice, watching a human beat them over and over again."

"Yeah, she's awesome like that," I agreed. "But if she isn't suicidal, how did her wrists… how did she get hurt?"

"Seth," Carlisle started, "when I first examined Katie, I smelled some drugs, sleeping pills. By the strength of the smell, she took four times the recommended dose. When I examined her wrists closely, I saw that both wrists were cut from left to right. If she did it herself, each wrist would have been cut from a different direction, because she would have had to switch hands for each wrist. Someone drugged her and slit her wrists, and dumped her in the woods where she wouldn't be found for weeks."

I was shaking heavily by the time Carlisle was done explaining. Who would want to hurt my Katie like that? And who would go to lengths of making it look like an accident?

"I don't know, Seth, but we'll help you find out," Edward said comfortingly. Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you for taking care of her. It means a lot to me," I said to them all.

"No problem. Just convince her to go shopping with me," Alice said succinctly.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because all of her clothes are hand-me-downs from werewolves!" Alice said in an outraged voice. "_Nothing_ fits her properly, and I want to fix that. She could be so adorable."

"She is adorable," I argued.

"Of course she is, but she has such a cute figure and she's absolutely drowning in those clothes. The dress I gave her is an old one of Rosalie's, and she's been fidgeting all day because it fits. She's fidgeting because she's so used to clothes not fitting, that she can't even tell when something does fit. It's an outrage," Alice ranted.

"Alice, this dress is wonderful, it's just not my taste," Katie said from behind me. "I like big, baggy clothes."

"Please, Katie, let me take you shopping," Alice pleaded. "I'll pay for everything! Just a few things. I'll even let you help decide what we buy!"

"I'm sorry, Alice, but no." Katie paused for a moment, and I saw Edward smile. "Maybe you can help me pick out a dress for the dance coming up. I haven't decided if I'm going or not, though."

Alice squealed. "We'll get you a dress anyways!"

Katie rolled her eyes, something she did whenever someone did something ridiculous. Usually Collin pranking someone.

"Katie, it's getting late. Maybe you should call your parents to let them know you're alright," Esme suggested.

"Actually, I should probably head home now," Katie said sadly. I knew she would love the Cullens once she met them.

"Seth, why don't you take the Volvo to drop Katie off?" Edward said in a casual voice. Then he said quietly so Katie couldn't hear, "We need to talk once you get back."

"Sounds good. Come on, Katie," I said aloud. I thought, _I hope you'll tell me everything that happened today._

"Thanks, Seth. Thank you, all of you, for helping me today. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't found me and helped me," Katie said, shuddering lightly, telling me she knew exactly what would have happened.

Edward tossed me the keys and I led Katie to the garage. Thankfully, Rosalie wasn't in here. Katie didn't need that meeting today.

The drive to her house was quiet. But she held my free hand the entire way there, and I couldn't help but feel a little hope.

* * *

**Sorry, that was a little shorter than usual. It just seemed like a good place to stop. **

**Now, I'm holding a contest for the best reviews. I'm judging by length, number of topics covered, depth of topics covered, and overall helpfulness. The reward will be the prologue of the next story I'll be writing, called _Dark Light_. It's the one about the witch named Jezebel. Thanks for playing, and please review!**


	8. Messed Up

**Look, I'm sorry updating has been so sporadic lately. College just cannot be confined to a schedule. Now, I have good news for me, but bad news for you: I finally got a job! That might mean fewer updates, but I will not forget this story! Too many people will bother me if I don't. I figure I should do this again. It's been a while. I do not own Twilight or any of its characters or plot things. I own my characters and my plot things. I don't own any of the songs I mention either. These disclaimers apply to all past, present, and future chapters. Don't make me do it again.**

**I have decided to give the prologue to Dark Light to anyone who gave me a great review. I'll PM those to the deserving people in the next few days. However, to wingless angel: Since you didn't sign in or anything, I don't know how to send you the chapter. Please let me know how to send it to you! Your review was too amazing to ignore!**

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Katie's POV

I was worried. It was that simple. As soon as Seth pulled the car into the driveway, I knew this was going to end badly. Why, Katie, why would this happen to you? Because the universe hates you. I really need to stop talking to myself. Especially in the third person.

I knew this was going to end badly as soon as I saw the green sedan in my driveway. It just so happened that that green sedan belonged to the one and only Dr. Carvay.

Dr. Carvay was at my house. My parents didn't even know what happened to me! How could they have called the psychiatrist in to evaluate me when they didn't know anything was wrong?

I think Seth sensed my anxiety, because he held my hand tighter and gave me a reassuring smile. If only it was that easy…

"Thanks for bringing me home, Seth," I said. It was a ritual of ours when he dropped me off. If he wasn't coming inside, I would thank him, he would say no problem, we would say our goodbyes and he'd be off.

"I'm coming inside with you," he replied bluntly.

"No you aren't," I said just as bluntly.

"Whose car is that?" he asked abruptly.

"Don't change the subject; you aren't coming inside."

"Why are you so nervous about that car then?"

I paused. "It doesn't matter," I finally said.

He scoffed and got out of the car.

"Seth! No! Just go home!" I whisper-yelled at him. He grabbed my hand – gently yet firmly – and hauled me up the front steps. The door opened for us.

"Katie! Where have you been?" my father asked sternly, glaring heavily at Seth. Good. "Jeffrey came all the way from Seattle to see you!"

"Why would he do that?" I asked bluntly. A few hours ago I was in the middle of the forest bleeding to death. I'm allowed to be a bitch right now.

"To see how you're doing, of course," my father said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Who?" Seth asked.

"An old friend of mine, Jeffrey Carvay," my father said smoothly. "He stops by our place every now and then when he's in the neighborhood."

Thank God my father was a police officer. He's an excellent liar, and he knows people finding out I'm nuts would be bad for all of us. Wait… does that mean he doesn't trust Seth? Or is he waiting for me to tell Seth myself? God, this is all so confusing. Those sane girls have it so _easy_.

"Yeah, you can go home now, Seth," I said, glaring at him pointedly. He blatantly ignored me.

"Now, now, no need to shove the boy out the door," a smooth voice said. I would recognize that smooth voice anywhere. Dr. Carvay stepped into sight next to my father, a friendly smile on his face. He extended a hand towards Seth for a shake.

"I am Jeffrey Carvay, an old family friend of the Carter's. John has told me quite a bit about you, Mr. Clearwater," he introduced himself.

Seth took Dr. Carvay's hand and shook it with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

I was having a mini panic attack, but the men in my life were too busy with one another to notice. Thank God. Again. What was I supposed to do?

"I just wanted to walk Katie to the door, but I need to get going. See you later, Katie," Seth said and gave me a quick hug, then left.

I walked past my father and Dr. Carvay into the living room, where I took a seat and waited for the interrogation.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" my dad asked as he took a seat beside me. Dr. Carvay took a seat across from us, watching intently.

"Uh, good. Seth and I watched movies most of the day, and then I went over to the Cullens' house and played videogames," I answered, well aware that Dr. Carvay was analyzing every word I said.

"That's good. Dr. Carvay was in the area, and he wanted to check in on you," my dad said, nodding towards the doctor with multiple degrees sitting across from us. "I'll just, uh, leave you two to it."

He got up and walked into the kitchen. Dr. Carvay turned to me and smiled reassuringly.

"I'll be perfectly honest with you, Katie. Your father called me last night, sounding quite terrified. From what he said, I gathered you were doing quite well, but I wanted to make sure. Also, I had a feeling there would be things you could talk to me about that you might be nervous to talk about with your parents. From what I remember, high school is terrifying," he said calmly.

"Well, I feel… normal. Like I'm just a typical teenage girl dealing with typical teenage problems. I haven't had an episode or anything like that since we got here. I'm actually happy," I reported with a smile.

"That's good to hear, Katie. I knew you were going to make a full recovery. Tell me about school," he suggested.

"Well, since this is such a small town, there aren't a lot of new kids coming and going, so I was afraid everyone was going to stare and what not. But right before the first day, the school on the reservation was burned down by some stupid boys in town, so all of the kids that went there were transferred to our school. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly high on the gossip list like I expected. Actually, that first day is when I ran into my new friends from the rez. We met while we were getting our schedules," I informed him happily.

"That's great, Katie. I'm glad you're getting along here so well. Why don't you tell me about these new friends? I know your father was nervous about them at first," Dr. Carvay asked kindly.

"What do you mean, 'at first'? Daddy still doesn't like them," I said, rolling my eyes. "They're great, though. Brady likes music just as much as I do. He's been introducing me to all of these bands that go under the radar. I've been learning so many new songs lately! Oh, and Collin is hilarious. He's definitely the jokester. I swear, it's his life's mission to make as many people laugh as possible. And Seth… where do I start with how amazing he is?"

"It sounds like you like Seth as more than a friend," Dr. Carvay hinted.

I sighed. "I do. I really like him. A lot. There's just nothing I can do about it."

Dr. Carvay blinked. "Why not? He seems very fond of you, and he definitely is protective of you. He seems to like you just as much as you like him."

I blinked in surprise this time. "Well… maybe. But it doesn't matter. I haven't told any of them about… where I've been, and it just… I feel like it wouldn't be fair to Seth. I mean, I'm nuts! He deserves more than that."

"Katie," Dr. Carvay sighed. "Like you said, the hospital is where you've _been_, not where you're going. And where you are now and where you're going is what's most important."

"But –" I started to protest, but he cut me off.

"You like him, and he clearly likes you. How about a compromise? Seth seems like a trustworthy fellow. Tell him everything," he suggested.

"What?" I gasped. Why was there suddenly no air in the room?

"You say you would feel bad if you started dating him when he didn't know about you. So, let him know exactly what he's getting into. Tell him why you were in the hospital, what happened in the hospital, and how you've been declared mentally capable. He'll know everything, and he can decide for himself."

"I – I can't do that," I gasped out.

"Why not?" Dr. Carvay asked, looking genuinely confused.

"He – What if he tells someone? What if he tells _everyone_? His friends are my friends! They might all leave me if they find out! I can't do that!" I cried out.

"I have a feeling that if he wasn't trustworthy, you would never have trusted him as your friend in the first place. And it seems like you trust on him and rely on him a lot," Dr. Carvay replied easily. Damn him, he was right.

"I'll think about it," I said skeptically.

"Katie, you have a good chance at a normal life. Don't write it off just because you're afraid to try."

After that little heart to heart, Dr. Carvay had a quick chat with my dad, wished me luck, and left. I got ready for bed, being careful not to get water on my bandages, and went to bed. After texting Seth a quick goodnight, of course.

He sent a goodnight back just as quickly.

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Seth's POV

After leaving Katie's house, I pulled over and called Brady and Collin. They would watch Katie for me while I talked to Edward and the rest of the Cullens.

The drive was quick, but it seemed like hours to me. Edward sounded… well, I'm not sure how he sounded, but I knew it was about my Katie, and I needed to know about it.

I left the car in the same place I had taken it from and hopped up the steps and into the Cullen house/mansion. Edward and Carlisle were waiting for me in the living room. Jasper and Emmett were playing Halo: Reach in the background, trying to figure out how a human girl beat them.

"Hey, guys! What did you want to talk to me about, Edward?" I asked. What can I say, patience is not a virtue I possess. Edward understood why, though.

Edward smiled a sad smile. Uh-oh.

"Seth, we have a bit of an issue," he started out. "It seems Katie knows a bit about vampires."

"What?" I gasped. Carlisle looked sad, but Jasper and Emmett paused their game to listen.

"I'm sorry, Seth, but it appears the nomad vampire that's been lurking around Forks is after Katie. A week ago, Bella and I caught a glimpse of the nomad, and his face matches the one in Katie's memory," Edward said sadly.

I was speechless. My beautiful, fragile Katie, around a dangerous nomad? Why?

"Seth, when Bella and I found Katie, she started screaming because we reminded her of that vampire. She was terrified. We brought her here anyways, so Carlisle could treat her wounds. We owed you that much. Then her terror disappeared when she saw Jasper and Emmett playing that videogame. She began to calm down when Carlisle started patching her up while she was talking to them about the game," Edward said.

I was quiet for a few minutes, digesting the information. It was quite a bit to handle.

"Does that mean Katie already knows about vampires? Will it be easier to tell her about werewolves?" I asked.

"Nothing is going to be easy with her, Seth," Edward said sadly. "She's not sure what's real and what isn't. I… I'd like to say more, but I think you should talk to her about it. It's not my place to say."

"Thanks, Edward. You too, Carlisle. For taking care of her. I owe you guys," I said gratefully.

"Seth, you don't owe us anything," Carlisle corrected instantly. "When Bella was pregnant, Jacob came here to protect her. Leah came to protect you. You came became you thought it was the right thing to do. And none of us will forget that."

"No problem, Carlisle. Like you said, it was the right thing to do," I said with a smile.

"That's awesome and all, but you need to bring Katie back here soon, Seth," Emmett demanded. "I need her to teach me how to break a fatal fall from a cliff by by jumping on top of and assassinating an Elite." **(This is an achievement in Halo: Reach. By the way, if you're into videogames, it is the most badass game I've ever seen! The graphics are **_**amazing**_**!)**

"I'll bring her by when I think Alice won't jump her with a new wardrobe," I said happily.

"Which will be never!" I heard the pixie vampire call from upstairs. "That girl needs clothes that fit!"

I laughed. I would go and see Katie tomorrow, and hopefully everything would work out. My phone buzzed, letting me know I had a new message. Katie just wanted to say goodnight. I sent goodnight back to her, wishing I could send so much more. My undying love, that kind of thing.

Wait… when is anything ever easy for me when it comes to Katie?

That last comment was only proven more right when I went over to her house the next morning. Both her mother and father were home. Her father was glaring at me (I think he finally realized I was in love with his daughter) and her mother was glaring at me, too (I think she realized the same thing). For once, Katie noticed the hostile atmosphere.

"Hey, Seth, why don't we go take a walk? Dr. Cullen said walking around was good for head injuries a few days after the fact," Katie said lightly.

"Sounds good," I agreed quickly, but I wondered why she wanted to go outside. She was not an outdoors kind of girl. Her father gave me a warning glare, and I gave him what I hope was a reassuring nod.

I followed Katie outside and into the woods. We weren't walking for long when she stopped. We were less than two hundred yards into the forest.

"Seth, I'm your friend, right?" she asked nervously.

"Of course," I said quickly, trying to reassure her. Did she want to tell me she liked me? As more than a friend? Oh God, I hope so.

"And I'll be your friend no matter what's happened in the past?"

"Yes. Katie, what are you trying to say?" I asked, trying to figure out what the past had to do with us liking one another.

"Look, I - I just... Ugh! How am I supposed to say this?" she shouted frustratedly, throwing her hands up in the air, still not looking at me. I walked around her so she was facing me. She turned around. I took her by the shoulders and made her face me.

"Katie, you can tell me anything," I told her as sincerely possible. She blinked, and took a big breath.

"Seth, I'm crazy."

I laughed. "I know you are, Katie. What did you need to tell me?"

"Seth, I'm not joking! I'm crazy! Nuts! Off my rocker!"

"I noticed," I said dryly. "You're different, and I love that about you. Just spit out whatever you need to say."

"You - You idiot! I've already said it! I'm crazy!" she shouted at me, pushing against my shoulders. I held on tighter.

"What?"

"Seth, I've been in and out of the hospital since I was six. I was never physically ill. I'm not joking when I say I'm literally mentally insane."

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**Please review! If you haven't sent a review for the prologue yet, you can still send one for this chapter! And, my poll is still up. I'm still curious. But please review!**


	9. Shut Out

**Ugh, trying to get this out before the weekend was a pain in the ass. My life has been crazy the past few days, and they're only going to get crazier from here. I'm really trying to update at least once a week, but it just might not be enough. I promise I won't forget this story, just bear with me. Reviews are a great way to motivate me, though.**

**Also, for listening and helping me with these problems, this chapter (hell, this whole story!) is dedicated to EllenaW1 for being my friend and the person I ask "Should I do this in the story?" all the time.**

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Katie's POV

I stood there, watching Seth's face as he slowly understood what I had been trying to tell him. He looked so… shocked. So surprised. I guess I was good at being normal, if he didn't even suspect this.

He dropped down and sat on the ground, still with that shocked look. I guess I really couldn't blame him. I kind of blindsided him with this.

His face was flashing through a variety of different emotions I couldn't identify. I felt like I had been standing here for hours before he finally said something. And what he said only confused me more.

"You already know about vampires?" he asked slowly.

"Wait, what are you trying to ask?" I asked. I was so completely confused.

"Where did you find a vamp– How did you find out about vampires? Tell me everything, from the beginning," he said firmly.

I couldn't tell how he was taking this. He was acting so strange… "When I was six, a man attacked and killed my older brother, right in front of me. M-my mind couldn't accept the brutal killing at the time, so… I went kind of insane and my mind made up a monster that could do that kind of thing."

"Wait, so you aren't actually crazy?" Seth asked incredulously.

"What? Of course I'm crazy! I think an all-powerful monster killed my older brother! Vampires don't exist!" I shouted. What was his trail of thought here? Of course I was crazy!

"Katie… I… Oh god, this…" he mumbled, then he pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have been there to protect you. I'm so sorry…"

"Seth, you didn't even know me back then," I said, trying to comfort him. "And even if you did, you couldn't have helped me be… not-crazy."

"No. No, that's not it. Katie, you aren't crazy," he said slowly and carefully. "Vampires exist. They're real."

"That's not funny," I said, my voice low and hollow. I just bore by soul to him, shared my biggest, deepest secret with him, and he's making jokes?

"Katie, I swear I'm not joking. I would never joke about something like this, you know I wouldn't!" Seth exclaimed. I started shaking my head, covering my ears. I didn't think you would do this until you started saying it all. "Katie, please, listen to me! You aren't crazy!"

"Stop! Just stop!" I shouted. Why would he do this to me? Why?

"Katie, I don't… I just… please, listen to me! I can prove you aren't crazy," he begged. "Vampires aren't the only supernatural creatures out there! Werewolves exist, I'm a werewolf! We hunt bad vampires and protect La Push and Forks. I'll phase and prove it to you!"

I froze. That was… that was exactly what Beast had said. He turned into a giant wolf to protect his people from evil vampires.

"You bastard," I hissed. I walked up to Seth and slapped him in the face, as hard as I could. My voice steadily became a scream. "You pathetic excuse for a monster! How dare you go into Beast's files! Have you gone through mine, too? Have you known I was crazy this whole time?"

Seth looked shocked, but I didn't buy it for a minute. "What? No, god no! I would never do that!"

"Leave!" I screamed. "Get out of my life and never come back!"

I turned and started running for my house. How could Seth do this? It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. The first time something good happens to me, and it turns out to be nothing but a cruel, elaborate hoax? I thought shit like this only happened in the movies!

The pain in my chest was overwhelming, but I kept running. I saw my pretty white house start peeking through the trees and I knew I was home. I felt sick to my core.

I burst through the back door and barreled past my mother. I headed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

"Katie? Katie, is something wrong?" I heard my mother calling. There was something off about her voice, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I flew into the bathroom and threw up in the toilet.

I collapsed onto the floor, shaking and tired and heartbroken. My first chance at a normal life had just flown out the window in a grand escape. I should have seen it coming. I should have, but I had been too happy to care about that kind of thing. Maybe I could call Brady. He would know how to cheer me up.

But realization dawned on me. Both Brady and Collin were probably a part of this, too. They were helping Seth the whole time.

At that point, the pain was too much. I pushed myself off the floor and started searching through the medicine cabinet. They were in here. My mother made sure to fill the prescription as soon as I was released from the hospital, just in case.

It was a simple orange bottle with little white pills inside. But right now, it was the most beautiful thing in my world.

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Seth's POV

I stood in the clearing long after Katie ran away. After she told me she never wanted to see me again. After she said she didn't want me in her life.

The pain was intense. I was going to kill Edward. He could have warned me! But what could I have done differently? How could I have made Katie believe me? Could the imprint be wrong?

No. Katie was my soul mate, there was no denying that. I just had to figure out a way to show her…

I heard three sets of paws hitting the ground, approaching me fast. I didn't bother getting up. Wait… when did I fall face first onto the ground? I didn't bother moving while they put cutoff shorts on and surrounded me, peering down at me.

"What do you think happened?" Collin asked the others.

"I see a slight red mark on the left side of his face, so I'm guessing she didn't take it well," Brady answered.

"Yeah, Katie's stubborn like that. And when she gets pissed off, get the hell out of the way," a new voice that I didn't recognize commented.

"Alright, enough conjecture. Seth, what actually happened?" Collin asked bluntly.

"She accused me of reading her files and slapped me. Hard. Then she told me to get out of her life and she ran away," I mumbled into the earth. They would understand me.

"Yep, that's Beauty. Did you get to phase for her?" the new voice asked.

"No," I moaned. Hey, my imprint just left me. I'm allowed to moan.

"Shame, that might have worked. Then again, it's Katie. She's beyond stubborn," the new voice said. He was starting to get on my nerves. He was enjoying my misery way too much.

"Who the hell are you again?" I asked rudely.

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm Christopher Greene, also known as Beast."

I turned and looked up at him. "Chris? You're the one Katie keeps going on and on about?"

"Yep. Brady and Collin already explained about imprinting. I'm glad Katie got you, by the way. Now we just need to figure out a way for her to realize we're telling her the truth," Beast said lightly.

This was definitely the Chris I remembered from school all those years ago. Nothing bothers him. Ever. And he talks about the most daunting tasks like they're taking a walk around town.

"C'mon, Sethy-boy, let's go convince your girl you're not a conniving, back-stabbing, lying piece of – you get my point. Let's go, up and at 'em," Beast said, pulling me up beside him. I just couldn't make myself move. How was I supposed to convince Katie that I wasn't lying? She was convinced that everything I said was a lie!

"Aw, screw it. I'm not carrying you," Beast said. He let go, and I dropped like a rock. Beast grabbed my ankle, and started to drag me behind him. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really care. He didn't have to carry me, I still didn't have to move… win-win.

Five minutes – and eleven rocks Beast purposefully pulled me over – later, I decided there was more dignity in walking to Katie's house.

As we walked into Katie's backyard, Beast frowned.

"What's up?" Brady asked him.

"Katie's heart beat is kind of slow, don't you think?" Beast asked carefully. We all listened carefully.

Her heart wasn't beating slower than usual. She seemed fine.

"It seems normal," Collin said.

"Exactly," Beast insisted. "She thinks Seth just tore her world to shreds, and she's just sitting inside like it's a normal day in paradise? I don't think so. That's not my Beauty."

"That makes too much sense," Brady sighed. "So why is this a bad thing? I mean, it means she's okay, doesn't it?"

"Not even close," Beast said simply. He just walked through the door. It was a good thing no one else was home. The rest of us followed Beast inside to the front room, where Katie sat staring at a blank wall. Her face was blank, and she didn't turn to even look at us. She was usually much more aware of her surroundings.

"Beauty? Look at me, Beauty," Beast said in a voice that was usually used on someone with a gun in their hand. Katie slowly turned to look at him, her face still that blank mask.

"Oh, hello Beast. How are you today?" she said in a blank monotone.

This wasn't my Katie. This wasn't my imprint, the girl I loved more than life itself. This was some emotionless imposter. A zombie that was barely moving.

"Aren't you happy to see me, Beauty? You said you wanted me to get out of the white hell with you," Beast said, in that same slow, careful voice.

"I can't tell," Katie replied simply. "It's hard to tell what I'm feeling. But that was the whole point. Nothing gets through the fog. It's nice and thick and nothing can get through. There's no pain here."

"Katie, there's no pain to hide from," Beast tried to reason with her, but I could see she was too far gone. Where she was, I couldn't tell, but it sure as hell wasn't here.

"But I liked him so much, Beast," Katie replied, still in that monotone voice that made me want to scream. "I liked him a lot, and I thought he might like me, too. Daddy and Dr. Carvay said he liked me. Why did he try to hurt me?"

"Beauty, he would never hurt you on purpose. I'll come back when you come back," Beast said sadly, and we followed him out the back door. Okay, Brady and Collin dragged me away, but still.

We phased in silence, and Beast showed us his memories. He showed us his first memory of Katie, a pretty girl with long brown hair and a white dress on. She was sadly strumming an acoustic guitar, when she looked up and smiled at him.

He showed us her disbelief when he told her why he was in the hospital. He let us feel the fear he felt when he realized a real vampire was after her. He showed us her joy at finally being released, only to come back depressed a few months later. No one ever visited her. No one came to see her. He remembered his own joy when he realized she was moving to Forks, where she would finally be safe from the monster that had plagued her for over a decade.

The nomad vampire we had been chasing was the vampire that's been torturing my Katie. It was so obvious now.

_Let's go see Sam. At the very least, we should tell him about the nomad vamp,_ Collin said sadly.

We agreed, and headed for Emily's house. We could smell her homemade muffins hundreds of yards away.

We phased in silence again. No one really knew what to say.

"Wow, the whole pack is here, even Jake and Leah," Collin said.

Everyone poured out of the house to greet Beast. Emily even hugged him. When Leah walked out, looking pissed and refusing to look our way, Jake started laughing like a lunatic.

Everyone looked at Beast, who was staring at Leah. Like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. My heart caught in my throat.

"You didn't."

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**That last bit was one Ellena helped me out with. Just for the record. So, please review! Long, helpful reviews will be rewarded with the prologue to Dark Light! The response to that story has been great so far! So please make my hectic life a little nicer and review!**


	10. Finally

**Thank you to everyone who has read, alerted, favorited, or reviewed this story (especially to the people who reviewed)! As a thank you, it's about six hundred words longer than usual. On a sadder note, I think this is going to be the second to last chapter in this story. And I don't think anyone saw this ending coming!**

**Also, I do not own Twilight. Never have, never will. I'll be writing my own stories in a few years. Oh, and I don't own the song mentioned, either. But that song is freaking amazing, I was just listening to it, and it inspired the epiphiny for my own life, so I figured it would inspire Katie's, too.**

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Seth's POV

Even through my misery and self-loathing, I was honestly happy for my sister. At first, I was thinking, _Right now? Seriously? Of all the times the universe could have picked, it's right now?_ But then I saw Leah smile the first real smile she's had since the disaster with Sam and Emily. I could see the love and the pure joy in her eyes, and it made a crappy day better.

"Finally!" Jake shouted. "If I had to hear her bag on me for being a cradle robber one more time, I was going to rip her face off. But now she's a cradle robber, too! Oh, thank you Universe! Your sense of justice and payback is appreciated!"

"Jake, shut the hell up," Leah said shortly, but she was smiling the whole time, so she didn't really mean it. Okay, she totally meant it, but she's not going to hurt us like she would have done before.

"I – um – hi, I'm Beast – I mean, Chris. Chris Greene," Beast tried to introduce himself, walking right up to Leah with a huge smile on his face.

"I'm Leah Clearwater," she replied with an equally huge smile. They just stood there and stared into one another's eyes with pure love and happiness.

"I hate to interrupt, but we need to talk to Beast. He has quite a bit to tell us," Sam said. He had an arm around Emily's shoulders, and both were wearing relieved smiles. They knew Leah would be happy now, and they could finally begin to let go of the guilt they had been clinging to for so long.

"He's right," Beast said quietly to Leah.

"I know," she replied simply. Beast gently brushed her cheek with his hand, and I felt like I was going to drown in the love that saturated that one simple touch. Then again, I could just be acting melodramatic because of the mess today.

We all filed into the Uleys' small living room, taking seats on any flat surface we could squeeze ourselves onto. It was hard fitting eighteen werewolves in one room.

Sam stood next to Beast and Leah, his presence commanding the attention of the room. "Beast, why don't you tell us what is going on. Start from the beginning, if you could."

"Sure," Beast replied. "A few years ago, I phased during a bonfire, when there were no wolves in wolf form. For some reason, I was calm, and I was able to phase back into a human quickly. But I went straight to my parents, and told them exactly what just happened. They thought I was crazy, and shipped me off to a mental hospital for kids and teens that night. I tried to phase and escape, but the anti-psychotic drugs they had me on put me in a thick fog. I couldn't feel anything. Everything was blurry and out of focus. My parents said that staying there and getting better was what was best for me. I knew I wasn't crazy, though, and I started to try and figure out what was myth and what was history. The next morning, I met Katherine Carter."

He paused and took a breath. "She became an adopted sister to me in less than a month. The doctors had me on a strict diet so I would lose some muscle so they could control me, but Katie always snuck me extra food. She told me why she was there, and I wanted to kill something. A vampire had killed her brother, and had been stalking her ever since. She started calling me Beast, and I started calling her Beauty. She reminded me a lot of Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_. Kind and considerate, yet completely oblivious to the world around her, caught up in her own world."

His face screwed up in pain and he gripped Leah's hand. "About a year later, they declared her cured, and let her go home. She came back two months later, sobbing and depressed because she had failed again. I held her while she cried, and let her tell me all about her so-called 'delusion' coming back for her. That damn vamp had to visit her five times before she finally started screaming and believing that he was back for her. When I saw her before she left the last time, she promised that she would never believe the thing was there again. But I knew that was going to get her killed.

"So I waited for the doctors and nurses to become complacent, and I stole a cup from the cafeteria. I took my meds like a good boy for a week, then drank a shitload of water and pissed everything into that one cup, and stopped taking the meds. So instead of pissing in the test cup fresh, which is how the doctors make sure I'm taking my medication regularly, I gave them the old stuff that still had the meds in it, while the drugs wore off and I felt my emotions and… werewolfness… come back to me. I broke out at two a.m. this morning, and ran straight here."

"It's good to have you back, Chris," Sam said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"It's good to be back. But…" he trailed off, "I think I'm going to keep the name 'Beast'. I think it suits me. If that's okay with you."

He looked at Leah intently. She rolled her eyes. "I don't care what I call you. Beast sounds just fine."

They both grinned at one another, and I knew the imprint had chosen right for this couple. Leah would rant and rave and generally be pissed off, and Beast would take it all in stride. They would balance one another. Hell, they were already balancing one another.

"Beast," Collin started, "you know the most about Katie's supposed 'condition'. How do you think we should prove to her she's not insane and we're telling the truth? And how Seth isn't a lying douchebag?"

"By the way she was acting this morning, I think it's been a long time since she took those meds. They affect you more when you first start taking them. I noticed the vamp never… visited… her while she was taking her meds, to make her think the meds work and she is insane. So we show her when the drugs first start to wear off. She'll be able to feel emotions again, but the drugs will still be in her system. If she sees one of us transform while she's on the meds, she'll have to accept that what she is witnessing is real," Beast suggested.

"That was… specific," Brady said.

"I've had a while to plan this," Beast replied dryly. "Seth and I will talk to her, and either Brady or Collin will phase in front of her."

"I'll do it," Brady volunteered immediately.

"Now, seeing you phase may not be enough. We have to make sure she pets your fur, hears you grumble or whine, smell your fur. Using all of her senses to perceive us will prove our existence far more than sight alone," Beast suggested.

"That sounds like Katie. The more proof, the better," I said quietly.

"Exactly," Beast said, getting up from the couch. "Come on, guys. Let's go get our Beauty back."

* * *

Katie's POV

The fog was beginning to thin. It used to be so thick, I couldn't feel _anything_. There was nothing but calm bliss. But the fog was thinning, and I could feel my emotions and the rest of the world start to come back. The pain from earlier today was returning.

Seth's desperate face came back to my mind, and I felt the pain rip through my chest. Why would he do this to me? I thought…

I had honestly thought that Seth could see past my insanity, see that I was cured. I had hoped that we could start a normal teenage relationship.

But then that dream was shattered as he started saying all of those horrible things. It couldn't be real. It wasn't possible.

I wanted to scream, run, cry, find Seth and beat him with a baseball bat, _something_ to do to keep the thoughts away.

But I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Seth was telling the truth. After all, both he and Beast were huge for their age. They ran incredibly hot temperatures. They were strong, durable, and, most of all, protective.

No. This was the kind of thinking that got me thrown into the hospital in the first place. I couldn't go down that path, no matter where it led. Even if that path led me to Seth.

My mother's phone binged, signaling a text message. I sighed. As soon as I had come back downstairs, she informed me that Daddy had left to go fishing with Charlie and Billy, and she was going over to the Stanley's for lunch. She must have forgotten her phone.

I trudged into the kitchen and picked the stupid pink thing up. I looked at the sender ID and…

Who was Tony? The sender ID read "Tony D". She had never mentioned anyone named Tony. Daddy hadn't, either. Could it be a business client? She hadn't really worked on her interior decorating all that much since we moved here. If she was starting it up again, the message might be important. I opened it.

_Wat you wearing to lunch?_ it read. That's weird.

There was a knock at the back door, and I almost jumped out of my skin, thinking it might be my mother. She would kill me if she caught me on her phone. I set the phone down on the table, and went to answer it. I saw Seth and Beast through the window.

I almost walked away. I almost ignored two of the people who mattered the most in my life, walked away and never looked back. But something in me wanted, _demanded_, desperately needed me to go answer the door. I tried to ignore it, but it wasn't something that could be ignored.

I opened the door, and hugged Beast fiercely. "I missed you so much, Beast!" I cried, completely ignoring Seth.

Beast hugged me back just as enthusiastically. "I missed you too, Beauty. But we need to talk."

"About what? About how Seth is a giant douchebag?" I asked incredulously.

"That's just it, Beauty. Seth would never hurt you in the way you're thinking. Hell, he would never hurt you, period. And you know he wouldn't," Beast said seriously.

"Then what the hell is this about?" I asked furiously. No wonder some women refused to associate with men. I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration.

"You're not crazy, I'm not crazy, and Seth is telling the truth. Come out here, and we'll prove it to you," Beast said succinctly.

"I…" I faltered. What should I do? Beast didn't wait long, and grabbed my wrist and hauled me outside with him and Seth.

"Ow!" I shouted, pulling my arm back. He rubbed against my cut wrist the wrong way, and now it stung. He probably reopened the wound.

"What? I didn't grab you that hard, did I?" he asked.

Seth growled. "Someone sliced her wrists open yesterday. You grabbed her injured wrist."

Beast's eyes widened in shock, then he started growling. "Who?" he asked ferociously.

"We don't know," I said shortly. "Now, what proof could you possibly have?"

"Right, the proof. Hey Brady!" Beast shouted.

"Yeah?"

I saw Brady peek out from behind a tree in my backyard.

"What are you doing over there?" I called to him.

"Not scarring you for life! I'm naked," he replied.

"Why?" I gasped.

"Katie, please don't be scared," Seth begged, taking hold of both my hands. "Just… please, let us try to explain."

"Explain what?" I shrieked.

And that's when Brady exploded into a giant wolf.

One of my best friends just burst into a giant wolf. I started hyperventilating. This couldn't be happening. I was crazy, this wasn't happening, this COULDN'T BE HAPPENING!

Out loud, I was whimpering, and I felt my legs buckle underneath me. Seth easily caught me and held me up.

"What… what…" I tried to speak, tried to ask what the hell was going on, but the words wouldn't come out. I just stood there, whimpering and muttering and sounding like an absolute lunatic. Which I was, so it made sense.

"Katie, you aren't insane," Seth said fiercely, staring deep into my eyes. "Brady can transform into a giant wolf. Both me and Beast can. A lot of the guys on the rez can. It's why we grow so tall and have so much muscle, why we have such hot temperatures, and why we heal so quickly. We're werewolves. We protect the tribe from vampires like the one that's after you."

"This… this can't be," I gasped out. It wasn't possible. It wasn't physically possible!

"I know, Katie, I know how this must sound to you, but I would _never_ lie to you about something like this! I love you!"

"Brady, come here," Beast motioned for the wolf to come towards us. I stared as he slowly approached.

I shrank into Seth's side, too terrified to speak. This wolf was bigger than a horse!

"You don't have to be afraid, Katie. It's still Brady… just a bigger, furrier Brady," Seth whispered in my ear.

I rolled my eyes. Of course Seth would say… the wolf just rolled its eyes. He rolled his eyes, and the gesture was so _Brady_ that I couldn't help but think _maybe_. What if Seth and Beast weren't lying?

I reached out a tentative hand towards Brady's head. He dipped his head down so I could reach. When my hand brushed over his fur, I couldn't help but marvel at how soft it was. It felt softer than human hair. I started slowly moving my hand, petting him. He hummed in pleasure.

But then I recognized a tune to his humming. It was Florence and the Machine, the song called, "The Dog Days Are Over". He let me listen to that song last Thursday morning. I started singing along, already having memorized the lyrics.

"_She hid around corners, she hid under beds,  
__She killed it with kisses and from it she fled,  
__With every bubble she sank with a drink,  
__And washed it away down the kitchen sink"_

I started giggling. I remembered all of the lyrics, and I knew why he was making me sing it with him. It was fitting.

"_The dog days are over,  
__The dog days are done.  
__The horses are coming,  
__So you better run._

_Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father,  
__Run for your children and your sister and your brother.  
__Leave all your love and your longing behind,  
__You can't carry it with you if you want to survive."_

I started laughing. It just lifted my spirits up in a way no conversation could. I couldn't tell you what those lyrics actually meant, but for me, they meant my unhappy days were over. All of the pain and the sadness and the whiteness were firmly in my past, and it felt so damn good. The burden of being crazy lifted away from me, and I felt stupid for letting my parents and the doctors tell me I was wrong. There was nothing wrong with me. There never was.

"I was never crazy, was I?" I asked my friends (who just happened to turn into giant wolves in their spare time) lightly.

"No. The vampire played this game well," Beast growled. Seth growled, too, but both were lost in the thunder of Brady the wolf's growl. I giggled and rubbed his head, letting him know I was okay.

"Then that means the Cullens are vampires, too," I realized. "But their eyes are gold, and my stalker's are red…"

"Yeah, because the Cullens drink animal blood instead of human," Seth said. "Animal blood changes the eye color to gold."

"That legend is true, too?" Beast asked incredulously. "At this point, they're all true…"

"Sounds like it," I answered them happily. After being depressed for so long, it was nice to feel joy again.

"You're taking this…" Seth started to say, but trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Surprisingly well?" I offered.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm over the moon about it."

"I know you are," I laughed. Seth held me close and kissed the top of my head. Which reminded me…

"Hey Seth?" I started. "Earlier, when you said you would never lie to me about this…"

"What about it?" Seth asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"You said you loved me," I said simply.

"Oh, well, that's another part of being a wolf," Seth said reluctantly. It was painfully obvious that he wanted to leave this conversation for later. "We… when we see… sometimes when we see a girl, it's like… she's it. You know that girl is the most amazing person you'll ever meet, and… and… Jake described it as gravity shifting. The world doesn't hold you here anymore, she does. You'd give anything to make her happy."

He looked intently at me. "It's almost like love at first sight, but it's so much stronger than that. We call it imprinting. And… and I imprinted on you. I love you."

"So…" I began. "What you're trying to say is I'm your soul mate?"

"Basically," Seth sighed. He must think I'm going to take this badly. And I don't know what possessed me to do this next thing, but it popped into my head and it sounded like exactly what I should do.

"Good," I said, pulled Seth down to my height, and kissed him. My first kiss was going to be on my terms. And it was so amazing, I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Seth's arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. The kiss was chaste, yet so passionate. I pulled away and smiled at him. His answering smile was amazing.

This was heaven.

Beast cleared his throat, and Brady started coughing. Oh, he transformed back into a human. I must have been kissing Seth longer than I thought.

"Hi!" I said brightly, waving at them.

They just stared. "They're going to be worse than Kim and Jared, aren't they?" Brady asked dully.

"How bad are they?" Beast asked.

"Really bad," Brady replied.

"Then yeah, they are," Beast agreed.

"Eh, I don't care," I said, shrugging. Seth laughed and kissed my forehead. I smiled up at him, and everything was right in the world.

A wolf howl cut through the air, and the boys' heads snapped towards the forest.

"That's a signal, they've found your stalker," Seth explained quickly. Brady and Beast were already running into the woods. "We're going to go stop him, for good. He'll never bother you again. Stay here, be safe."

I kissed my soul mate fiercely, then said, "I don't care about him. Just come back to me, Seth."

"I will," he promised, and he ran into the woods.

I walked back into my house, locking all of the doors and windows. Not that it would do much good, but whatever. I sat at the kitchen table.

The boys had their mission, and I had mine. I picked up my mother's phone, and got to work.

* * *

**Oooo, I wonder what Katie's up to? If you're confused about anything, feel free to ask. I won't answer anything about the up-and-coming last chapter, though. Please review! I really want to know what you thought about Katie finally accepting the truth! And everything else!**


	11. Everything Falls Into Place

**It's finally here! The last chapter for Love Like Crazy. It's been a wild ride, and I'm so glad you all joined me for it! This is an extra thousand words long, as a thank you. Read on!**

* * *

Katie's POV

I sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through my mother's fancy cell phone, forming my plan of action.

Seth and the rest of my boys were out in the woods, risking their lives for me while I just sat here and waited for them to come home. I was sick of letting other people suffer to protect me.

My jaw dropped when I saw how many messages "Tony D" had left on my mother's phone. And they all said pretty much the exact same thing: _I love you. When are going to move in with me? I know it's only been a year, but I really love you! When can I see you next? Let's go on a date tonight! I love you!_

The first thing that registered in my mind was that Tony texted in perfect grammar. I thought I was the only one who did that.

The second thing that registered was that my mom was cheating on my dad. She had been for a year. I felt sick to my stomach. How was I going to tell Daddy? Who was going to tell this Tony? A part of me hated him for tearing my family apart, but the majority of me recognized that Tony had no idea either me or my father existed. He thought my mom was single. This wasn't his fault. It was my mother's.

This was why she didn't want to move to Forks. I continued scrolling through their conversations. It looked like Tony started a new construction business recently. My mother wanted to make sure he continued to be successful before she left me and my dad.

When did my mother become so heartless and shallow? She used to be so wonderful when I was younger…

Then… then my brother died. I wasn't the one who went crazy. She was. When he died, she would talk to anyone that would listen to her, fishing for sympathy and support. When that attention started to dwindle, she had me committed. And _no one_ could ignore the distraught mother with a murdered son and psychotic daughter.

I had heard of a mental disease like that, where the parent would hurt their child in order to get attention. What had Dr. Carvay called it? Munchausen syndrome by proxy? Yeah, something like that.

My mother was hurting me so she could get attention?

Rage filled me until something inside of me broke. Broke, and reformed in a new way.

I wasn't going to let my fear rule my life anymore. I was sick of letting my father or Seth or Dr. Carvay protect me. I was going to fix this mess, on _my_ terms.

I dialed Tony's cell number. After ringing twice, a deep male voice answered.

"Hey baby! Where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago, I was really starting to worry –" Tony said frantically.

"Um, sorry to disappoint you, but I just found this phone," I lied sweetly. "Your number was the most frequent this phone called, so I thought you might be able to tell me who's phone this is so I can return it."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. "This is my fiancée Trisha Carter's phone. Where is it? When she gets here, we'll both come to pick it up."

"I found it in a coffee shop in Forks," I told him shakily. I was still reeling from the 'fiancée' bit. "It's a tiny town on the peninsula."

"But Trisha lives in Seattle!" Tony gasped, shocked. "Forks is over three hours away! What would she be doing there?"

"I don't know," I said sadly. After all those years tricking the doctors in the mental hospital, I was a very convincing liar.

"Wait, she's here. I'll call you back, and you can tell me where to pick it up," he said and hung up.

I smiled a little, and called Dr. Carvay. I have his cell number memorized.

"Hello, Doctor, this is Katie Carter," I greeted him.

"Well, hello, Katie! What can I do for you this evening?" Dr. Carvay answered.

"I… well, I want to tell you what happened to me last night, and I want you to tell me if… if I'm jumping to conclusions or if I'm actually guessing right," I said hesitantly. If I was right, Dr. Carvay was the first person I wanted to know.

"Go ahead, Katie. Tell me everything," he said.

"Well, my mom got home from some errands yesterday afternoon, and she was really happy about something. She said she got some new fruit juice one of our neighbors recommended. She made me try some, and I got really dizzy really fast and blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the middle of the woods and my wrists had been sliced open."

"What?" Dr. Carvay interrupted. "Katie, are you alright?"

"Oh, yes! Yes, I'm fine. Some hikers found me, and took me to see Doctor Cullen, one of the best doctors in town," I reassured him. I let my voice grow hesitant. "Do you… do you think… my mom… might have done this? Dr. Cullen said I couldn't have done this to myself."

"Katie, I think this is a conversation that would be better to carry out in person. Will your parents be home in four hours?" he asked in that careful psychologist voice.

I quickly calculated the time in my head. "Yes, they will. I'll even make dinner for everyone! See you then, doctor!"

"See you then, Katie. Be safe," he answered anxiously, then hung up.

I silently rejoiced. Dr. Carvay believed me. I could hear it in his voice.

My mother's phone buzzed with a text from Tony.

_I've told Trisha that I have a surprise for her. What's the address?_ it read.

So he's starting to get suspicious, too. I don't blame him.

_I've got a surprise for her, too,_ I thought. I texted him my home address, saying someone would be here with the phone for them. He replied a few minutes later, saying he would be here in three to three and a half hours. Perfect timing.

Knowing I had ensnared my cheating, psychotic mother was a victory, but it wasn't enough. That vampire had been torturing me for a decade. I didn't just want him dead; I wanted closure. And I knew who would most likely help me.

I dialed the Clearwater family's home phone, praying the right person would answer. And she did.

"Clearwater residence," Leah's bored, annoyed voice answered.

"Leah, I need your help," I said quickly, not bothering to sugarcoat what I had to say.

"Katie? Seth already asked me to come over to your house to protect you. I was just about to leave," Leah said, her annoyance replaced with surprise.

"I don't want your protection, I want closure," I said desperately. "This vampire has been after me for a decade! I need to be there. I need to see his face, I need to know why me! Please, Leah, try to understand. I need to know."

Leah was quiet for a moment. I anxiously waited for her answer.

"Fine," she said quietly. "It's not like the pack can hate me anymore than they already do."

I don't know why she agreed to help me. I probably never will. But I'm not complaining.

"Thank you, Leah," I said sincerely. "And the guys don't hate you. They just don't understand how it feels to have your whole life and your whole future torn away from you in one random act. I just… I need to know why my life was torn apart."

"Don't we all," Leah replied sadly, and hung up. I got the feeling she wasn't talking about me and the vampire anymore.

But just being there, like I asked Leah for, wasn't enough. I wanted to show that vampire that I wasn't a weak little girl anymore. He couldn't control me anymore. I was the master of my own destiny, and no one could take that away from me, not even an indestructible vampire.

Then the idea bloomed in my head like a spring blossom. Why would a vampire care about a little human girl anyways? Why would he stalk me like this for a decade? There was only one answer, and I was going to use it to finally end this dance.

* * *

I was riding on Leah's back, heading towards the battlefield. Riding on a wolf's back was easily my favorite thing to do now. Would Seth let me ride on his back? It would be so much fun. Hell, it would be the best date ever.

It was pouring rain, but I didn't really mind. I should be freezing since I was wearing the cute sweater and jean outfit Alice had given to me. I had planned on returning it to her soon, but the way the clothes fit me was too… wonderful. They made me feel strong. I felt liberated, like I was no longer hiding in my giant T-shirts. I felt beautiful.

I was also wearing one of my mother's favorite trench coats. I had no purpose for taking it except it hid my secret weapon perfectly. It looked pretty good on me, too.

Leah slowed to a walk when we arrived at our destination. I jumped off her back, wanting to do this on my own. The clearing was innocuous, one no one would ever look twice at – on any other day. Today, it was full of werewolves and vampires.

When I saw the vampire, I froze. He was _exactly_ the same. But then, vampires never changed. They could never move forward. They were frozen. And like that, my sudden fear slowly melted away, and I was brave again.

The vampire had one wolf trapped by its throat under the vampire's foot. For some odd reason, I instantly knew it was Seth. I was drawn to that wolf like we were two magnets. I was his imprint, and he was my wolf. It was that simple.

The other wolves were slowly circling the two, searching for a way to get the vampire without hurting my Seth.

Edward, Alice, Emmett and Jasper Cullen were watching carefully. From their positions, they had been helping, but had stopped when I arrived. It was like they knew what I was planning. Hell, for all I know, one of them is a mind reader. Or a psychic.

I faced my vampire-stalker again, planting my feet. I wasn't backing down.

"Get your foot off my boyfriend's neck now!" I shouted. The vampire glanced at me, then turned back to Seth. Wrong move.

I had a feeling this vampire was going to be very uncooperative. That's why I brought insurance.

I pulled off the trench coat, and pulled the pistol out of the inside pocket. It was my daddy's Smith and Wesson, his pride and joy. He never lets it leave the safe, but he needs to think of better combinations. My birthday is not very hard to guess.

I shot the vampire, hitting his left shoulder. Not bad. It wasn't a very hard shot to hit from one hundred feet away, I guess. It helps that daddy used to take me to the shooting range with him and taught me how to use this gun specifically.

The vampire's glare shot up to me, staring in complete shock. He recovered quickly (for a human, at least. For a vampire, it was pitifully slow).

"Katherine," he growled. His voice was lovely, the typical velvet voice of a vampire. I couldn't really bring myself to care.

"Guns don't work on vampires," he growled slowly.

I rolled my eyes. "What the hell made you think this was for you?" I asked incredulously, then put the barrel of the gun to my temple. Every wolf flinched, and the vampire screamed. The Cullens didn't move.

"Let Seth up now," I said angrily, "or I shoot myself. I don't think vampire venom can repair a splattered brain."

The vampire slowly lifted his foot, his eyes never leaving mine. Seth darted away.

"I started thinking earlier," I began calmly. The tortured look on the vampire's face was priceless. "Why on Earth would a beautiful, immortal vampire care about some pathetic little human girl? It made no sense. Then I realized…"

I trailed off for dramatic effect. "You love me."

Seth snarled, but I kept eye contact with the vampire. "I don't know why, and I don't really care. I want to know why you tortured me like this. Why would you hurt someone you loved?"

"Katherine –" the vampire began, but I cut him off.

"My name is Katie," I said harshly.

"Katherine is a beautiful name," the vampire argued, then jumped back to the previous topic of conversation.

"The night we met, I was going to kill you. After killing your brother, I looked at your face. Really looked at you. And I fell in love," he said dreamily. "You were everything I ever wanted in this world. I started following you. I found what a wonderful person you are, and I couldn't leave you alone. I waited until you were older, old enough to understand what you were going to become –"

"I'm not 'becoming' anything," I snapped. "I don't want to be a vampire. I never will. I want to stay human and let my body change with the seasons. I want kids. And I want to live my life with someone who will go through those changes and that life with me."

"Katherine, you don't know what you're saying. Once you see –" he tried to argue, but I cut him off again.

"I do see," I said simply. "You may know me and love me, but I don't even know you. And I couldn't love someone who hid from me like this. I love someone else."

"NO!" the vampire broke out screaming. "NO! You belong with me! You're mine! No one else can have you! NOOOOOOO!"

I looked to the wolves, my new family, and calmly asked, "Can you kill him now? I need to get home."

The wolves tore him to pieces. I tossed the gun on top of the trench coat on the ground. I waited patiently while Edward helped the wolves burn the remains. Alice walked up to me.

"I'm proud of you, Katie," she said simply. "And you're coming over soon to go shopping and get a makeover."

I smiled. "That sounds great."

Then, like two celestial bodies in orbit, I turned to see Seth walking towards me. I didn't bother waiting for him. I ran right up to him, and tackled him in a hug. We kissed, and the rest of the world melted away.

* * *

"I know I've asked this before," Seth began.

"Multiple times," I added. Seth rolled his eyes. We were walking back to my house slowly, talking about the things we needed to discuss. I knew Brady, Collin, and Beast weren't far behind. Leah was walking right behind us, not bothering to give us the illusion of privacy.

"I know. But why did you put yourself in danger like that? We were about to finish him off when you arrived," he said.

"Because I needed to be there," I answered simply. "It's hard to explain, but I needed that closure so I could move on with my life."

"Alright, I guess I can understand that," Seth agreed reluctantly. Then he asked, "Why did you call me your boyfriend?"

"I'm your imprint, aren't I?" I asked, and he nodded. "That means you are whatever I want you to be. And right now, I want you to be my boyfriend."

Seth grinned. "You also said you loved someone else to the vampire."

I rolled my eyes. "Duh. Obviously, I'm in love with my wolf-man. I thought that was clear when I tackled you and kissed you."

"I'm making sure," Seth defended himself. "And so we're clear, I love you, too."

"Good," I said happily, and I pulled him down to my height for a quick kiss.

"Now," I started, "I was a little busy while you were out fighting vampires. So I need to go home, and I would appreciate it if you were there with me."

"Whatever you want," Seth said sincerely.

"Good, because this is going to be hilarious in a very sad way. And promise me you'll keep your temper in check," I added.

"I will," Seth promised. He took my hand in his, and we finished the walk home in comfortable silence.

Seth and I were the first ones home. I immediately went to my dad's gun safe and put the Smith and Wesson back where it belonged. I then threw my mother's trench coat on the coat rack to dry. Both Seth and I were soaked from the rain, but I didn't really mind. Seth didn't seem to either, so we just sat at the kitchen table and waited for my parents to get home.

In retrospect, I probably should have told Seth what was about to happen. But it was a lot more fun this way.

My father got home ten minutes before my mother. He saw me and Seth holding hands at the table, but he didn't say a word.

"Hi, Daddy," I greeted him while he hung up his gun belt.

"Hi sweetheart, hi Seth. What are you two up to?" he asked.

"Waiting for you and Mom to get home," I answered simply. My father just looked at me. He knew when I was up to something.

Ten minutes later, I heard a car pull into the driveway. The doorbell rang, and I jumped up to get it. My heart was pounding. I looked over to make sure both my dad and Seth could see who was at the door.

When I opened the door, I gave both my mother (who was looking VERY nervous) and Tony a big smile and said, "Hello, you must be Tony. Hi, Mom!"

Tony stared at me in shock. My mother looked murderous. Seth and my father were silent.

"I'm really sorry, Tony. You seem like a nice guy. But my mother has been lying to you," I explained quickly. "I'm her daughter, and this man behind me is my father and her husband of twenty years."

"Tony, I can explain," my mother said quickly, desperately grabbing onto his hand.

"Don't," Tony said, shaking her off. "I… I… just… don't."

He ran back to his car and floored it. I couldn't really blame him for wanting to get the hell out of here.

"Trisha," my father said quietly. I jumped. I didn't know he was right behind me.

"John, I can –" she started, but my father cut her off.

"Why would you cheat on me, Trisha? I loved you. We had a good life, a happy one. Why would you tear our family apart like this?" my father begged, tears welling in his eyes.

I ran to my father and hugged him tightly. He held onto me like I was the only thing left he cared about.

"Because she doesn't care, Daddy," I whispered. I knew my mother and Seth could still hear me, though. I pulled up the sleeves of my sweater and showed my father the bandages.

"She drugged me and did this to me, Daddy. Dr. Carvay should be here anytime now and he'll help us sort this all out," I promised him.

"I don't need a doctor! You're the crazy one! You're the messed up little girl no one wants around!" my mother began shrieking.

Seth came up, wrapped one arm around me and one arm around my father, and hissed, "Shut up right now. If you insult Katie one more time, I can't be held responsible for what I'll do to you."

Dr. Carvay chose that moment to walk in through the already-open front door. "I have a feeling I just walked into an explosive situation," he said carefully.

"Yes, you did," my father said sadly.

"Well then, let's get started. Katie, you are the one who called me. Why don't you begin?"

* * *

After telling Dr. Carvay everything that my mother had done (with her denying everything the whole time), he gave her a possible Munchausen syndrome by proxy diagnosis. He called some people, and they came to take her away to the psychiatric hospital for further study. Dr. Carvay immediately apologized to me for not seeing that I wasn't insane from the beginning, and that he should have known it was my mother all along.

I then formally introduced Seth to Dr. Carvay and my father as my boyfriend. Both of them were ecstatic. I guess they wanted some good news out of the horrible day.

The next day, I went to school while Daddy filed for divorce. It felt weird, being in such a normal place after that crazy weekend. But Seth was holding my hand, and the rest of my boys were beside me.

After school, Seth and I took a walk on First Beach.

"Do you regret any of it?" I asked Seth shyly, snuggled against his side for warmth from the chilly ocean breeze.

"Regret what? I got you in the end, didn't I? That's all that matters to me," he said simply.

I smiled and kissed him. And that's how we started the rest of our lives together.

* * *

**I know, the ending was a little cheesy. I couldn't help it! Thank you all again for reading this story, and thank you to everyone who alerted, favorited, and/or reviewed! Especially to the people that reviewed! **

**My next story is already posted, called Dark Light. It has some mature themes (no lemons!), especially violence and language. Please, go check it out! Thank you all again!**


	12. Sequel Announcement!

**Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to inform you that the sequel to this story is now posted! **

**Love Like Fire chronicles the adventures of the next imprint in the pack, Lydia, on her journey to become... well... a better person. There's no other way to say it.**

**Lydia is basically a popular girl until a devastating housefire permanently disfigures her left arm - and her best friend/the school's Queen Bee's face. Audrey lashes out, making Lydia's already difficult life into an unmanageable mess. But Katie is there to be a true friend, and Brady is there to show Lydia love like she's never felt.**

**I hope you all like this new story; I'm having a blast writing it. Either way, tell me what you think!**

**Thank you for giving a damn!**

**-Summer**


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